Extract
INTRODUCTION
“Bold” is the adjective that aptly describes the people from near and far who, despite the many challenges, believed in the Place Ville Marie project. Since opening in 1962, this edifice has won the hearts of Montrealers and redefined the new downtown.
Inspired by the tenacity of its developers, we hope that this first monograph on Place Ville Marie will allow readers to better understand the various issues that, for more than 50 years, have influenced the planning, development and evolution of the complex, as well as how important it is to the Montreal landscape.
A considerable amount of research went into the writing of this book. Access to unpublished documents, revealing visual references, and interviews with key players made it possible to shed new light on the project. Each author’s style and approach were respected in order to convey their originality and freshness to the reader.
Place Ville Marie is an integral part of a changing metropolis and marks the culmination of a half-century of development projects. In the first part of the book, “A Metropolis on the Move” we wanted to portray the general historical context by underscoring the features of Montreal’s development, especially the major stages in the creation of a new downtown district. Along the way, we describe the appeal of the Place Ville Marie site prior to the upheaval caused by the coming of the railroad station.
(...)
France Vanlaethem, Sarah Marchand, Paul-André Linteau, Jacques-André Chartrand
Octobre 2011
Extract
INTRODUCTION
“Bold” is the adjective that aptly describes the people from near and far who, despite the many challenges, believed in the Place Ville Marie project. Since opening in 1962, this edifice has won the hearts of Montrealers and redefined the new downtown.
Inspired by the tenacity of its developers, we hope that this first monograph on Place Ville Marie will allow readers to better understand the various issues that, for more than 50 years, have influenced the planning, development and evolution of the complex, as well as how important it is to the Montreal landscape.
A considerable amount of research went into the writing of this book. Access to unpublished documents, revealing visual references, and interviews with key players made it possible to shed new light on the project. Each author’s style and approach were respected in order to convey their originality and freshness to the reader.
Place Ville Marie is an integral part of a changing metropolis and marks the culmination of a half-century of development projects. In the first part of the book, “A Metropolis on the Move” we wanted to portray the general historical context by underscoring the features of Montreal’s development, especially the major stages in the creation of a new downtown district. Along the way, we describe the appeal of the Place Ville Marie site prior to the upheaval caused by the coming of the railroad station.
(...)
France Vanlaethem, Sarah Marchand, Paul-André Linteau, Jacques-André Chartrand
Octobre 2011