The iconic Farine Five Roses brand, which welcomes motorists as they arrive in Montreal, will have competition. Quebec artist Marc Séguin will put his signature on the facades of a rental building erected on the edge of the Bonaventure highway.
The announcement of this collaboration was made Tuesday on the ground floor of the Haleco real estate complex, currently under construction at the junction between Old Montreal and Griffintown. For several months, the renowned artist has been collaborating with Ivanhoé Cambridge, Cogir Immobilier and Pomerleau, developers of the project, as well as with its designers, the firms ACDF Architecture and l’ŒUF.
Marc Séguin says he was approached by the team of architects to add “oumph” to this project, winner of the international competition Reinventing Citiesorganized by the C40 global network of major cities.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Part of the work Assembly point by Marc Séguin is already visible on one of the facades of the Haleco real estate complex.
” I went pitch I put my foot down and said to myself: “It’s the fantasy of what I would like to see in urbanity”, declares Marc Séguin. We had to convince people, but it worked. »
The work is structured around two figures: on one facade, that of the she-wolf who rallies her clan and on two others, that of the circle, symbolizing at the same time an Earth floating in space, the Moon, the light of a lighthouse and the movement of the blades of a mill which once stood on the site. “I deeply wanted to mark the territory,” declares Marc Séguin. The work is called Assembly point, like these places that we find near airports, at the exit of buildings, where we say: “Let’s gather here to leave for other bases”. »
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE
The Haleco rental complex is located on the banks of the Lachine Canal and the Bonaventure Expressway, in Montreal.
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE
Two of the facades of the Haleco real estate complex will display a circle, blue on the city center side, white on the river side.
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ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE
The mayor of Montreal says that the building will become a signature of the City of Montreal.
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Based on the artist’s sketches, developed according to precise budgetary criteria, including the use of a maximum of four colors, the work was printed on the panels of the exterior envelope of the building. The she-wolf is already visible, the circles will be visible later. “Look around, the buildings are generic,” laments Marc Séguin. This one is special. It’s a new way of building for the future, of sustaining life with social and affordable housing. »
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
To symbolize a community rooted in all civilizations since Antiquity, the artist chose to integrate the symbolic representation of a she-wolf into his work.
This 21-storey complex will have 327 rental housing units, including 77 affordable housing units, offices, shops focused on the circular economy on the ground floor, as well as an associated housing cooperative of 40 social housing units. Green spaces will occupy 57% of the land and space will be given to urban agriculture, underground.
For Mayor Valérie Plante, the strategic location of the land, on which there was a road yard, required a strong signature. “We must have more beauty, works that are dynamic, buildings that speak,” says M.me Plant. This is what interests me when I visit a city. We have murals, it’s great. But here, it’s like a mural forever integrated into the entrance to the city. »
According to Marc Séguin, Montreal is in great need of contemporary iconic buildings. “Expo 67, the Olympic Stadium, is what we show on TV, what we show from Montreal. Mount Royal does its jobbut there are no other constructions”, remarks the one who advocates the creation of a “ministry of beauty”.
A project that has evolved
Adding beauty to this building was a challenge for the architects who had to deal with constraints linked to the energy efficiency of the building. According to Joan Renaud, project architect and partner at ACDF Architecture, this explains why the final architectural style of the project is so different from that which was presented to the competition. Reinventing Cities, which aims to encourage low-carbon urban revitalization. On the original sketches, there were several facade overhangs which had to be removed to reduce thermal bridges and maximize the energy efficiency of the building. “The project was rationalized and simplified in many aspects to meet these energy criteria,” explains Joan Renaud. We ended up with a building that was quite coplanar, with few overhangs and little extravagance, but it became an incredible urban canvas that we had to use to create something quite distinctive, strong enough to become a door. entry point into the city and a gathering point for the community. »
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY PROMOTERS
The Haleco project as it was presented in the competition Reinventing Cities in 2019.
Under the philosophy of the competition Reinventing Cities, the project will attempt to address the 10 climate challenges, including energy efficiency, climate resilience, sustainable water management as well as social inclusion and community engagement. It aims to obtain LEED Platinum certification. The first tenants are expected to move in in 2024.