The Grand Quai du Port de Montréal project surpasses the commission for a world-class ferry terminal by offering a large public space providing access to the St. Lawrence River, while highlighting a remarkable history that bears witness to the creation and economic development of Montreal. The result of close collaboration between architects, engineers, and landscape architects, it revitalizes the heritage landscape and rebuilds the links between the city and the river. The project dares the colossal maneuver of lowering the quay structure to provide access at water level. Every simple gesture of this project is in dialogue with the grand scale, highlighting its fluvial and industrial identity.
The landscape treatment preserves and enhances the importance of the historic heritage of the complex, articulated Promenade d'Iberville, which gives access to the Place des commencements at the end of the quay. On the roof of the rehabilitated ferry terminal, the promenade incorporates green roof technologies to create a garden of over 20,000 plants, selected through in-depth study of species adapted to extreme conditions of heat, cold and wind.
