I have looked at and evaluated many possible sites over the course of the semester. The past four months have seen me switch between one building located on Sherbrooke street to four in the plateau, finally deciding on two in different areas within the city.
Throughout the term, I have always maintained a desire to address the scale of the city. Locating only within the plateau fails to do this, especially considering the success that area is having (the plateau currently maintains a 1% vacancy rate). Rethinking about Montreal residents and ways to serve them, I arrived at the metro, the underground network that creates another grid beneath our streets. The metro works for the city, carrying passengers to and from work daily.
By locating at two points along the metro line, two buildings could be linked without being physically attached. This placement would allow each building to address the needs of its own environment. Each building could better satisfy its requirement, as one necessitates a more commercial location while the other a residential one.
The first station I have selected is metro Place des Arts. This site was selected for both its location at the heart of the cultural city center and for the prevalence of empty land surrounding the existing structure. Located amidst Place des Arts, the museum of contemporary art and UQAM this station is also in close proximity to the trendy strip along St. Laurent at Sherbrooke, home to Excentris and many exciting new technology companies.
A second site has yet to be selected and will be chosen in a more residential location along the same metro line. I intend to select the site over the summer and will obtain detailed site information for both sites at that time as well.
left: inside this exit
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