Imago

IMAGO is the winning entry of the City of Montreal’s two-phase competition entitled ‘Vivre le chantier St-Cath’. St. Catherine Street, an important commercial artery in downtown Montreal undergoing a four-year infrastructure improvement plan along several blocks. The works include underground infrastructure upgrades, incorporation of new public transit systems and increasing pedestrian sidewalk area and access. The project seeks to ameliorate the streetscape’s overall appeal, improve its functioning and promote economic growth over the long term. During the construction different segments of the street will be closed to car traffic, however pedestrian traffic and access to all stores will remain functioning. It is inevitable that this period of transformation will have an impact on people’s daily routine and the operation of the city. The competition therefore seeks creative solutions to minimize the negative impacts of an on-going construction site. The competitors were asked to address the following: change the users’ perception of the work, create an innovative urban experience within the work site, direct the flow of people, reduce disruptions associated with the work, disseminate information regarding the work and its progress and finally, inform users of future developments. KANVA’s winning proposal developed three components: an inflatable module, an information kiosk, and signage. Inflatable Structure module: Inspired by a theme of natural sciences and the transformation of an organism from its embryonic state to its final stage, IMAGO proposes a series of biomorphic inflatable structures to shelter, protect, animate, articulate and enliven the construction site of Sainte-Cath. Its light, yet robust design is inspired by the physiology of a butterfly wing; many delicate intermediary members create a strong, yet flexible structure. Through its scale, fluid form and aesthetic purity, IMAGO unfolds with great contrast to its urban environment and the repair work below or beside. IMAGO offers a strong and bold visual identity to reinforce St. Catherine Street’s iconic status in Montreal and beyond. The intervention consists of a series of modular catenary arches, each composed of an inflatable structure anchored to a standard concrete construction jersey. IMAGO adapts to the construction site in several ways depending on the work being performed. The inflatable structures are composed of a high-resistant polymer that is entirely recyclable, erects easily due to its structural efficiency and occupies the site at the appropriate scale, all while being light and easy to move. The simplicity and modularity of the installation offers a flexibility and versatility both in terms of its sprawling, caterpillar-like nature and ability to adapt to different site conditions. The modules are erected gradually by attaching one to another growing until IMAGO covers the extent of the work being performed. The modularity of IMAGO makes each component affordable; the number of units can be easily multiplied based on the budget. Since the main material is air, the modules can be handled easily and stored in a fraction of their original volume. IMAGO offers a poetic and versatile strategy in response to the numerous challenges of a construction site. The intervention possesses a great potential to be used as an identity tool, communication tool, operational tool, and experiential tool to re-imagine the construction site and the cityscape. Kiosk (Information booth): Anchoring the site, the kiosk disseminates information about the construction work to the general public; it is the meeting point between the work taking place underground and the citizen. Specifically, the kiosk reveals the values and benefits of the current infrastructure work as well as future work through digital tablets and wall-mounted screens. The kiosk also offers many services to the general public including bicycle pumps, water for bottles, electricity to charge mobile devices as well as a lounge space and terrace. The kiosk is a recycled shipping container; a portion of one of the longitudinal walls unfolds during hours of operation to invite users inside and create an outdoor terrace space, folding up securely at the end of the day. This compactability is convenient, as the kiosk moves location as the construction site migrates over the course of the four years. The exterior of the kiosk is painted the ‘IMAGO’ light blue and flanked with the project logos, becoming an easily recognizable marker for the general public as the kiosk is relocated along the construction site. Signage: The signage orients the general public throughout the construction site. The graphic language was conceived to be informative, clear and precise so that users can understand the scope, duration and context of the work. To place the intervention in time, site graphics illustrate the transformation of the public domain of using street sections of Sainte-Catherine Street throughout the significant eras of its development, acting equally as an open-air museum testifying to the history of Sainte-Catherine Street from the past to the future. The signage is displayed in the form of large format horizontal banners that are attached to construction site fencing; the same graphics are also adaptable to display cases in metro stations, on city buses and on any other public means of advertising. Alongside construction: In parallel to the construction site along St. Catherine Street, the modules that make up IMAGO propose to inhabit various public spaces across Montreal’s 19 boroughs (neighborhoods). From animating a highly trafficked market in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, to creating a fun winter playground on the La Fontaine Park skating rink, IMAGO promises to continue to be a community marker and gathering point for the residents of each neighborhood. Experimental: IMAGO is forward thinking in its approach to dealing with an otherwise disruptive activity. IMAGO is a catalyzer of interaction through its three strong elements: the inflatable structures, the kiosk and the signage that all coexist to create a rich narrative and dynamic construction site. IMAGO is inspired from biology and biomimetics; just like nature transforms through evolutionary processes and cycles, the city is also in constant transformation. IMAGO pushes the notion of optimism from transformation through a playful and experimental intervention.