Sunday, October 1, 2017

Montreal's World Trade Centre

I love it when you stumble upon a hidden gem like the Montreal World Trade Centre. It's a secret haven amidst the bustle of the Big City. To get an idea, have a look at this 360-degree image.

We were taking the metro to meet friends at a nearby restaurant, and emerged at the Victoria Square station. The World Trade Centre is close by, between the downtown and the Old Port, and from the outside it looks unexceptional. I think that the way it fits into the streetscape is one of its many virtues.




The centrepiece of the interior is a vast, table-like fountain, reflecting an antique sculpture of Aphrodite. The courtyard is a successful blend of the old and the new. 


 


Here's how Wikipedia describes the architecture:
"Completed in 1992 by Arcop, it is an example of a 'horizontal skyscraper' and a leading example of urban renewalarchitectural preservation and rehabilitation. The complex united several smaller Victorian-era commercial buildings (including the city's historic Bank of Nova Scotia building and Canada Steamship Lines building) by encasing them in a larger form, in this case a massive glassed-in atrium running the length of what was once Fortification Lane, itself the site of the city's colonial defensive walls. In a kind of post-modern homage, a remnant of the Berlin Wall, given to the city in 1992, is on public exhibit within the complex. The complex includes other historic elements, such as a fountain by French architect and sculptor Dieudonné-Barthélemy Guibal (1699–1757) also donated to the city in 1992. At the far end of the centre is the Montreal InterContinental Hotel."



During the week, the space is a convivial gathering point for office workers, enjoying the cafés and squeezing in some lunch-time errands. On the weekends it's quieter. Whenever you might visit, I can promise that the lively space and its harmonious mix of materials will make a strong impression on any fan of urban architecture.








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