With over three million visitors a year, Mont-Royal Park in Montréal was designed by Frederic Law Olmstead starting in 1874. Despite the evolution of the park, the essentials of the original plan remain. In order to recognise its unique character, the Government of Quebec recently granted it the status of a natural and historical borough. Given this heritage designation, a dozen municipal and provincial organisations had to ratify this project, which included: A play ground conceived with a theme derived from Mount Royal itself, a picnic area in a grassy plain with approximately thirty tables, the redevelopment of roadways and paths which reiterate Olmsteadian framed viewpoints as well as a renewed management of the landscape based on its woodland characteristics. Cardinal Hardy was given the mandate to conceive the playground.

The theme is the Blue Spotted Salamander, an amphibian native to Mount Royal and the starring feature which organises the play structures and other park elements. Water features and other innovative play structures are integrated into the silhouette of the salamander as it rises from the earth ; this instigates a different kind of play, which encourages the children’s motor, cognitive and social development. Beyond simply contending with a heritage site, the project highlights the therapeutic influence of this large scale green space in the city.

CHA [v2com Canada]

CHA [v2com Canada]

credits

Client
Ville de Montréal

Budget
$ 1.7m

Awards and mentions
Regional Merit, 2010.

AAPC, Category
CONCEPTION