Place Vauquelin asserts itself as a highly symbolic place of institutional power and a distinctive space in the heart of the Administrative District in the Old Port of Montréal. On the occasion of the 375th anniversary of Montreal, the civic and ceremonial role of this public square adjacent to City Hall was reinforced by a planning representative of the status of the metropolis, and a momentum of contemporaneity taking root in the old city. Characterized by an exceptional patrimonial wealth, this site is a privileged referential place for the collective memory.
The purity of the place requires the burial of all the MEP services in a vast technical room located under the main esplanade. The space also houses the rainwater retention basin. Its construction, fitting precisely between two heritage buildings (Montréal City Hall and the old courthouse), required the use of a rigid earth retention system that could be used as a permanent structure, hence the choice of a slurry wall.
The excavation reaching a depth of 4.5 m (15 ft) was carried out without the use of tie rods. Temporary steel props were used to stabilize the east and west walls of the excavation while the stability of the north and south walls was ensured by the interlocking of L-shaped panels.
