People from culture, tourism and politics united at a press conference on Monday noon to restore Montreal’s Latin Quarter to its former glory.
Several dignitaries and elected officials of the district came to, among other things, the announcement of the major renovation of the St-Denis Theater. The legendary room will be at the heart of a vast entertainment and dining complex, the Espace St-Denis, whose mission is to enhance the cultural and tourist offer of the Latin Quarter.
This recovery plan also includes the inauguration of a new room, the Studio-Cabaret, which can accommodate up to 700 people. Under construction on the site of the Théâtre St-Denis 2, the Studio-Cabaret bears the visual signature of designer Yves Aucoin. The hall will be inaugurated next June with a creation by the circus company Les 7 Doigts, entitled My island, my heart, directed by Shana Carroll. Tickets are already on sale.
Visit the Théâtre St-Denis website
“The Latin Quarter must once again become the most popular public space in Montreal, as was the case in the first half of the 20th century.e century ”, launched Jean-Claude Chabot, vice-president at France Film, the owner company, Monday noon, at the beginning of the press conference on the stage of the St-Denis Theater.
PHOTO FROM VIDEO
The new St-Denis Theater
“The great lady of the entertainment district”, as he nicknamed the hall inaugurated in 1916, will finally be able to enter the new millennium, thanks to a real “makeover”, to give it back its cachet of yesteryear, while equipping at the cutting edge of technology (with optical fiber among others).
Designed by Éric Gauthier, from the firm FABG, the building will offer the public a unique experience both inside and outside. Bye bye the ugly powder pink granite wall that hides the original facade of St-Denis! And hello the glass which will show the whole foyer of the theater from the street. “We want to marry the past, the present and the future”, summarized Mr. Gauthier.
Cultural tourism
The CEO of Tourisme Montreal, Yves Lalumière, did not hide the desire to bring visitors from outside Quebec to downtown, because they deserted the neighborhood at the height of the pandemic. And cultural tourism east of Saint-Laurent Boulevard. But there is important work to be done to become a flagship destination for cultural tourism. “In Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, only 11% of tickets are purchased by foreigners, while on Broadway, tourists make up 85% of spectators, in Paris, 60%, and in Toronto, 35%”, according to the figures from a study revealed by Lyne Dufresne, director of the implementation of the Espace St-Denis project.
PHOTO FROM VIDEO
The CEO of Tourisme Montreal, Yves Lalumière, did not hide the desire to bring visitors from outside Quebec to downtown, because they deserted the neighborhood at the height of the pandemic.
Two major players in audiovisual production, Grandé Camera and Piccolo Mobile, are also project partners with France Film and Tourisme Montréal; they will provide the services required by future Espace St-Denis customers. For example, the Studio-Cabaret will be of variable configuration, which can be transformed into a television studio. It will be equipped with a set of 180-degree LED screens and 4K projection equipment allowing spectators to live an immersive experience.
On the gastronomic side, Jean Pilote, former boss of Il Teatro, the Capitole de Québec restaurant, will open La Brasserie française. A piano bar terrace, the Marie-Louise, will also be set up on the roof of the Studio-Cabaret hall. These two businesses should be inaugurated in spring 2022.
Finally, the last phase of Espace St-Denis provides for the overhaul of the Latin Quarter cinema complex on rue Émery, which will be renamed Cité Création Montréal.
Watch the video of the main stages of the project