"Parc Jean-Drapeau is a gem, a truly special place in Montréal," said Robert Beaudry, Head of Economic and Commercial Development, Housing and Design at the City of Montréal. "Hundreds of thousands of people head to the islands every year to play sports, relax, and attend the various shows. Montrealers have great aspirations for Parc Jean-Drapeau, and so does our administration. Espace 67 will enable Montréal citizens to enjoy the park's various activities, as a family, and it will also help in bringing exposure to Montréal's cultural scene."
"With the completion of Espace 67, Parc Jean-Drapeau now has international-calibre infrastructures for hosting events, along with being able to reinstate two magnificent works – the Biosphere and Alexander Calder's Les Trois disques sculpture to a place of prominence," said Renaud Coulombe, the SPJD's Board Chair. "I invite the all the population to come and enjoy this gorgeous site and make it their own."
The designing of Espace 67 by the Lemay architectural firm was conceptualized around four major objectives to modernize and upgrade the site and make it safer.
- Recreate the spirit of Expo 67, by integrating some of the architectural reminders of Expo 67 and building a place conducive to people-gathering activities;
- Become a destination in itself, by enhancing the Parc's potential as an attraction;
- Combine nature and culture, by building a modern and multi-purpose site in terms of the activities that can be conducted at a place bordered by the river and the woods;
- Showcase the ingenuity of the site, by accentuating this part of the island while unveiling the site's uniqueness at first glance.
The five sectors of Espace 67 will enable the SPJD to diversify what it plans to offer its clientele as a whole.
Central concourse: The actual backbone of Espace 67, this half-kilometre concourse links the Biosphere to the Alexander Calder sculpture. The uninterrupted views of downtown and the river are truly unique. A brand new information Center is located near the subway station, thereby offering a vastly improved reception area for visitors.
Amphitheatre: The site is now able to accommodate 65,000 people, compared to the previous total of 45,000. It's a site that is on the cutting edge of technology, which has measures to mitigate the sound impact, and now offers the potential of being a four-season event site.
Event village: An ideal spot for fairs, markets and small exhibitions, this sector has a completely modern, new restaurant with a spacious terrace.
Natural agora: An intimate place for small events, the agora borders the forest and it has benches directly inserted into the stairwell surrounding the space.
Riverside walkway: At the far end of the Central concourse, the walkway's' belvedere overlooks the Saint Lawrence River and affords absolutely breathtaking views of Montréal.
Nature and biodiversity
The Espace 67 project was completed by carefully following a plant vegetation strategy devised by professionals:
- Preservation of the vegetation and natural characteristics of the surrounding areas;
- Transplanting highly valued trees to another area of the Parc;
- Building 8,163 m² of raised planter tanks to protect the flora from pedestrian trampling;
- Strict selection of vegetation for the best co-existence and an increase in tree covering to help make it cooler and shadier;
- Optimal management of rainwater run-off through the site's sloped surfaces, which are designed to irrigate the planter tanks and direct the filtered overflow toward Lac des Cygnes;
- Planting 19 species of deciduous and conifers and 45 species of perennials, grasses, ornamental grasses and bulbs.
About Parc Jean-Drapeau
The Société du parc Jean-Drapeau is a para-municipal organization of the City of Montréal whose mission is to manage, administrate, develop, protect and animate Parc Jean-Drapeau.
For full details about Espace 67, please go to parcjeandrapeau.com or follow us on social media @parcjeandrapeau.
To download the visual content distributed at the press conference, please go to the following link: https://we.tl/t-bzIi5rY2a4
SOURCE SOCIETE DU PARC JEAN-DRAPEAU
Gabrielle Meloche, Chief, Communications, 514 872-7322, [email protected]
Related Links
www.parcjeandrapeau.com
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