Resulting from a public participation initiative and thanks to a unique partnership between the University of Montreal (UdeM) and the City of Montreal, the Alice-Girard project set out to create a public place at the heart of and give life to the development of the new district of MIL Montreal. Named in honour of the first woman dean of the institution, this is a place of geographical, physical, historical and cultural convergence. The project marks the identity of the place, anchored in the memory of an industrial landscape that begins with a large diagonal, tarnished with the ancient vocation of the site of the sorting station. It forms part of and contributes to the ecological corridor of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s railroads on the scale of the city. The square has the image of the scientific vocation of the new district is exemplary by using best practices in planning, construction and sustainable management. Generously planted rain gardens of trees break up and animate the surface. A monumental fountain of mist that can be used as a stage during events decorates the center by making the balance with the public art work 29 53, directed by Patrick Bernatchez. This high-quality coherent set is the result of a remarkable team work coordinated by the City of Montreal where the firm NIPPAYSAGE has overseen the design stage and then passed the torch to the team of landscape architects and engineers of EXP who brilliantly assured the project's realization.
