Esplanade reconfiguration in Montreal’s Place des Arts underway

MONTREAL—The Société de la Place des Arts in Montreal has started major work to complete the reconfiguration of its Esplanade, which is a main gathering place for millions of festivalgoers.

"We are proud to be launching this project that will expand the presence of arts and culture in the heart of the city by turning our Esplanade into a giant outdoor stage, promoting its use for large-scale public events all year long," said Jean Laurin, chairman of the board of directors of the Société de la Place des Arts.

"The new Esplanade will enhance the city, harmoniously crowning the developments of the past few years, highlighted by the creation of the Quartier des spectacles, the construction of the place des Festivals, and the building of the Maison symphonique."

The $34.2 million project will be completed in May 2018, and will be carried out in such a way as to allow planned cultural and artistic activities to continue to take place without interruption. The project was created by the Montreal architecture firm of Provencher Roy and was designed to showcase the existing buildings in the block bounded by Jeanne-Mance, Saint Urbain, and Saint Catherine streets, and De Maisonneuve Boulevard. Its design will preserve the unique sightline to Mount Royal.

The renovation of the Esplanade will allow for the replacement of membranes that ensure the water-tightness of the structural slab, which also serves as the roof of the Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme, the Cinquième Salle, and related areas.

The reconfiguration of the Esplanade involves levelling the main area, transforming the site into a large urban space that will be more accessible, versatile and attractive.

The redesign will improve technical services, such as the installation of ground-embedded anchoring points and the addition of channels through which electrical and water supplies can be passed. It will greatly simplify stage assembly and disassembly operations.

The number of trees will be increased by 50 per cent, which will prevent the formation of heat islands. There will also be more water features. Two pools covering an area of over 1,000 m2 will be built, along with animated fountains.

The new Esplanade will be directly linked to the place des Festivals with the opening of the Musée d’art contemporain’s sculpture garden, a notable improvement as far as universal access to the site goes.

Work will be carried out in three distinct phases, first in the eastern portion — the area surrounding the Theatre Building; continuing in the rear portion, leading to De Maisonneuve Boulevard; and finally, in the western portion, bordering the Musée d’art contemporain.

The timetable calls for work to be stopped completely during the months of June and July, in order to allow festivals and outdoor activities to take place without any interference. The only complication will occur during the first phase, in the summer of 2015, when a fence will be erected around the work zone, thereby limiting the amount of accessible space.

The project will be funded from budgets allocated by the government of Quebec for the maintenance of assets and elimination of maintenance deficits at Place des Arts.