Status: Preliminary proposal

Architectural description of the project :

“On the occasion of the City of Montreal’s 375th anniversary, residents are invited to take part in a huge unifying event reflecting the city’s ethnic and cultural diversity: L’Anneau des Montréalais. The project invites 375,000 Montrealers to take a self-portrait using their smartphone from an application to participate in the creation of a huge mosaic. It is installed on a mega, self-supporting and permanent aluminum structure in the heart of Maisonneuve Park.

The ring, a symbol of unity, continuity and inclusion, creates a place of gathering and celebration aimed at bringing together Montrealers. Its geometry, inspired by the ribbon of Moebius symbolizing the infinite, is very meaningful. Changing and evolving, the form offers a great diversity of points of view and multiple spatial experiences. The surfaces merge into each other to create a rich complexity that reflects light unexpectedly.

The ring is raised in two places to create wide arches which allow visitors to enter its center. So that the site can be enjoyed all year round, an ice rink is installed in the center of the ring in winter. At all times, visitors are invited to explore the place and discover the thousands of faces that adorn the reflective metallic coating of the ring, creating a symbolic integration of Montrealers into the landscape of their city.”

ELEMA’s mandate was to assist the architects and other professionals involved in the specification and preliminary sizing of all the structural components of this artwork proposal, from the foundations to the structure of the ring itself.