 The Quartier international de Montréal (QIM) or Montreal's International District is an area of the Ville-Marie borough of downtown Montreal that underwent a major urban renewal as a central business district in 2000–2003. While several of the new structures were controversial during construction, the finished product is held by many as one of the finest examples of urban design in Canada. Ville-Marie is the name of a borough (arrondissement) in the city of Montreal, Quebec. ...
{{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Ville de Montréal, Québec, Canada Location. ...
Urban regeneration (also called urban renewal in American English) is a movement in urban planning that reached its peak in the United States from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. ...
Downtown Honolulu in Hawaii, United States, an example of an urban downtown district Central business district (CBD) and downtown are terms referring to the commercial heart of a city. ...
2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...
Urban design is related to urban planning, but deals at a more fine-grained scale. ...
Purpose The main purpose of the project was to restore the continuity of Montreal's downtown, broken by the gaping trench of the Ville-Marie Expressway since the 1960s, and thus to bridge the following areas: A ditch with water can be used for drainage and irrigation. ...
Autoroute is a French word meaning, literally, a motor road, and corresponding to the words motorway or freeway in English. ...
Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...
- The existing downtown business district centred around Place Ville-Marie (northwest);
- The Saint-Laurent/Sainte-Catherine entertainment district and Chinatown (northeast);
- The historic Old Montreal tourist district (southeast);
- The Cité du multimédia high-tech development district (southwest).
Other goals included the beautification of the built environment, creation of elegant city squares, showcase of Quebec design and public art, and stimulation of world-class real estate development at the heart of Montreal. Place Ville-Marie Place Ville-Marie or 1, Place Ville-Marie is a cruciform office tower built in the International style in 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...
Boulevard Saint-Laurent, occasionally known as Saint Lawrence Boulevard in English, is a major commercial artery that runs north-south through the near-centre of Montreal. ...
Rue Sainte-Catherine, also called Sainte-Catherine Street in English, is the primary commercial artery of downtown Montreal. ...
The second-largest Chinatown in North America is in San Francisco, California, where signs, storefronts, proprietors, and even lamp posts bring the culture of China to the United States. ...
Note: Not to be confused with beatification Beautification is the process of making visual improvements in a town or city, typically to an urban area. ...
The expression built environment recognises that much of the physical world in which humans function and thrive has been intentionally created; is something aesthetically and functionally shared; and functions as an organism in the consumption of resources, disposal of wastes, and facilitation of productive enterprise within its bounds. ...
In the United States, a town square is an area in the middle of a traditional town consisting of a park or plaza and surrounded by small shops. ...
This article describes the Canadian province. ...
Public art is art that is exposed in a public space, either an outdoor location or in a publicly accessible building. ...
The completed area of 27 hectares, eight of which are in the public domain, spreads on an east-west axis above the Ville-Marie Expressway tunnels. It is bounded by Saint-Urbain to the east, Saint-Antoine to the south, University to the west and Viger to the north (plus Saint-Jacques between McGill and University streets). The area is serviced by three stations on the Orange Line of the Montreal Metro and large portions of the Underground City. A hectare (symbol ha) is a metric unit of surface area, equal to 100 ares (the name is a contraction of the SI prefix hecto + are). ...
The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...
The Orange (Line 2) line is one of the four lines of the Montreal metro. ...
Place-Saint-Henri station The Montreal Metro is the main form of public transportation for the city of Montreal and was the second metro system to be built in Canada, opening 12 years after the Toronto subway. ...
Montreals underground city (French: La Ville souterraine) is the well-known underground city complex in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...
Components The QIM itself has five main components, from east to west: Palais des congrès seen from Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle.
Palais des congrès The Palais des congrès de Montréal (Montreal Convention Centre), the only building that was originally built over the expressway trench, was extended towards the west in the same manner, doubling in area while covering the first half of the western trench. The extension followed a similar design than the 1960s original, but with less concrete and more coloured glass, giving it a lighter appearance. The design, which included multicoloured panels and bright pink "tree" sculptures in the lobby, did not please everyone but is generally said to integrate well with the area. This section is connected to the Place-d'Armes Metro station.
La Joute on Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle next to Centre CDP Capital. Download high resolution version (896x592, 199 KB)La Joute, by Jean-Paul Riopelle (personal snapshot by Montrealais) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Download high resolution version (896x592, 199 KB)La Joute, by Jean-Paul Riopelle (personal snapshot by Montrealais) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle The public square built over the trench at the same time as the Centre CDP Capital was named Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle when Quebec artist Jean-Paul Riopelle passed away to much public mourning in 2002. His fountain sculpture La Joute was then moved to the square from the Parc Olympique in the district of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The relocation provoked controversy and outrage from residents of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, who claimed that moving it from the Parc Olympique deprived it of the context required for its full meaning as an homage to sport. Those who supported the move, including the Quebec government and Riopelle's heirs, argued it would allow the work to be more widely seen and exhibited as the artist intended, including the fountain or fire elements Riopelle designed. La Joute, by Jean-Paul Riopelle Jean-Paul Riopelle (7 October 1923 - 12 March 2002) was a painter and sculptor from Quebec. ...
2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
La Joute, by Jean-Paul Riopelle, during the flaming phase of its kinetic cycle La Joute (the joust) (1969) is a public sculptural installation by Quebec sculptor Jean-Paul Riopelle, a member of the Automatiste movement. ...
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is a district of Montreal, Quebec, situated on the eastern half of the island, generally to the south and south-west of the citys Olympic Stadium. ...
However the use of Riopelle's name for a neighbouring condominium/hotel project (http://www.leriopelle.com) was, and still is, opposed by the artist's heirs. The project also faced expropriation-related hurdles and has diminished in scope in 2005. A condominium is a form of housing tenure. ...
Hotel is the letter H in the NATO phonetic alphabet. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The square is bordered to the south by the 27-storey château-style InterContinental Hotel (built in 1994) which, by becoming a sort of terminating vista, acquired great visibility and a boom in business. A château ( French for castle; plural châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of gentry, usually French, with or without fortifications. ...
InterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury hotels owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. ...
1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...
In urban planning a terminating vista is a building or monument that stands at the end, or in the middle of a road, so that when one is looking up the street the view ends with the site. ...
Centre CDP Capital The Centre CDP Capital is the new headquarters of CDP Capital (formerly known as the Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec), the main investment arm of the Quebec government. Entirely suspended over the trench, the 13-storey building was the "enabler" and is now the centrepiece of the district, stretching between Jean-Paul-Riopelle and Victoria squares. Despite its strong architectural qualities, construction was marked by opposition to the huge cost overruns of an already very expensive structure, at the same time as the CDP was losing taxpayers' money from questionable investments made during the dot-com bubble. Dot-com (also dotcom or redundantly dot. ...
The building integrates a new W boutique hotel at the west end on Square Victoria. The W Hotel chain is owned by Starwood Hotels. ...
The Montreal World Trade Centre west entrance on Square Victoria.
Square Victoria Once an empty space crossed diagonally by Beaver Hall Hill and /McGill street, Square Victoria was restored to its original configuration, that of a tree-lined square between parallel streets. Trees and benches were added, the statue of Queen Victoria was reinstated, and special care was given to Hector Guimard's Art Nouveau outdoor entrance to the Square-Victoria Metro station. The square is now fronted on the east by the Centre CDP Capital and the Montreal World Trade Centre, to the west by Tour de la Bourse and Place de la Cité internationale, and to the south by the Quebecor building, its outdated façade fully re-designed for the occasion. Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819–22 January 1901) was a Queen of the United Kingdom, reigning from 20 June 1837 until her death. ...
Square-Victoria is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line. ...
Quebecor (written without an accent on the first e, even in French) is a Quebec-based company with two main spheres of activity: Quebecor World is the largest commercial printing company in the world, with 39 000 employees around the world. ...
Complexe Maisonneuve and the back of Place de la Cité internationale, seen at night from Square Victoria.
Place de la Cité internationale and surroundings Place de la Cité internationale, northwest of Square Victoria, is a complex that currently consists of the headquarters (http://www.icao.int/icao/en/hq.htm) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The modern 17-storey building, completed in 1995, has its main entrance on the west side on University Street. A taller second phase (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=135638) has been announced on the site for quite some time, to fill the void near Tour de la Bourse. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ...
1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Northwest of Square Victoria is the Complexe Maisonneuve, made of the two aluminum-clad Bell| and Banque Nationale towers built in 1982. Neighbouring Place Bonaventure, connected to the Bonaventure Metro station, marks the western boundary of the QIM. A tunnel built under University Street between Place de la Cité internationale and Place Bonaventure finally connected the eastern and western parts of the Underground City which had previously been separated. Bell Canada Enterprises is a major telecommunications company and a provider of telephone services in Canada. ...
The Banque canadienne nationale was a Quebec-based bank in Canada. ...
1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British...
Bonaventure is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line. ...
Beautification Sidewalks were widened and re-paved in order to increase the pedestrian area by 40%. Open-air parking lots were eliminated and replaced with 1,300 new parking spaces added under the Palais des congrès, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, and the Centre CDP Capital. Several trees were planted, and distinctive street furniture and street lighting was installed, including 22 backlit columns adorned with world flags in the median divider on University Street, welcoming southern arrivals from the Bonaventure Expressway. Parking lot is the American English term that refers to a cleared area that is more or less level and is intended for parking vehicles. ...
Street furniture refers to objects installed on streets and roads for various purposes, including benches, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic lights, traffic signs, direction signs, bus stops, tram stops, taxi stands, outside lavatories, fountains and memorials General descriptions A bench is essentially a chair made for more than...
A streetlight in front of a red sky at night A street light, also known as a light standard, is a raised light on the edge of a road, turned on or lit at a certain time every night. ...
Management The QIM was designed by Consortium Daoust Lestage (http://www.daoustlestage.com) and Provencher, Roy et associés, and engineered by Groupe conseil Genivar (http://www.genivar.com). The project was managed by the Société du Quartier international de Montréal, a non-profit organization created in July 1999 by the governments of Canada, Quebec and Montreal, as well as the Caisse de dépôt et placement and the Association des riverains du Quartier international de Montréal (ARQIM). The initial budget for the project was CAD$76 million (approx. US$57 million); the actual cost was $90 million (US$68 million). According to QIM's management, more than half of the overrun resulted from additional work requested by the city, as well as additional expropriation costs. Total investment in the district from all sources was approximately $860 million (US$650 million) between 2000 and 2003. A non-profit organization (often called non-profit org or simply non-profit or not-for-profit) can be seen as an organization that doesnt have a primary purpose to make a profit. ...
1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
The Canadian dollar, CAD or C$, is the unit of currency of Canada. ...
Impact As of February 2005, the project had received 17 awards in 12 different domains, half of them design-related [1] (http://www.ccmm.qc.ca/documents/publications/laCite/2004_2005/jan05/laCite_laUne_CommerceInter_en.htm). The project's success played a part in the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Design Alliance to move to Montreal, joining the ICAO, IATA and several other international organizations. Chef Normand Laprise's world-famous Toqué! restaurant moved from its tiny Rue Saint-Denis location to the Centre CDP Capital on Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, putting the QIM on the international gastronomy map. The district has become a prestigious address for real estate development, with upscale housing built and under construction totalling approximately 1000 units as of 2005. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee. ...
The International Air Transport Association is an international trade organization of airlines headquarted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...
2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Future projects Current projects include the beautification of McGill Street south of Square Victoria towards Old Montreal. There are long-term plans to continue the covering of the Ville-Marie Expressway further east to the currently dilapidated Square Viger behind City Hall, where the new land may be used for expansion of the future mega-hospital Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal to be built north of the expressway. Also City hall, the seat of municipal government. ...
See also The architecture of Quebec is characterized by the juxtaposition of the old and the new and a wide variety of architectural styles, the legacy of two successive colonizations by the French, the British, and the close presence of the architecture of the United States to the south. ...
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