That’s it, the gigantic ring of the Place Ville Marie esplanade, in downtown Montreal, lit up on Wednesday evening. It will now sparkle every night, summer and winter. To mark the occasion, a concert was organised, featuring Sarahmée, Ariane Moffatt and CRi.
The crowd gathered at the event, large and colorful, made up of young professionals, families and tourists alike, exclaimed in one impressed voice when the ring lit up on a song by Ariane Moffatt.
The show ended with the Montreal anthem Montreal, by Ariane Moffatt, remixed for the occasion with Sarahmée. “I never thought I would play a piano in the air,” said Ariane Moffatt, from a platform hoisted in the center of the ring.
In a recorded message broadcast at the opening of the event, Claude Cormier, the landscape architect who designed the ring, described his project as a “love letter” to the metropolis and a celebration of “Montréal”.
We owe several famous projects to Claude Cormier, including 18 shades of gaythe famous colored balls that once hung above Sainte-Catherine Street in the Village.
“The ring is now one of the most photographed monuments in Montreal, according to Tourisme Montreal. This is a major contribution to the city, which reflects all the power of public art to serve as a symbolic anchor,” said Annik Desmarteau, event manager and vice-president at Ivanhoe Cambridge.
Promoting an unusual monument
The illumination of Claude Cormier’s ring is part of an effort to make it more visible and attractive all year round. Ivanhoé Cambridge wishes to showcase it and crystallize its contribution to downtown, although the project was not unanimous when it was announced last spring.
“We really see an increase in people’s membership. Some were perhaps not convinced before seeing it, but people are now seeing its impact,” says Annik Desmarteau, proud of the project.
“We decided to light up the ring, because in the evening, we couldn’t see it anymore. Now, we bring out all the purity. With the cross of Mount Royal which lights up in its center from the esplanade, it really helps to bring the city center to life,” she explains.
The Place Ville Marie esplanade should also host more and more cultural events, “especially in summer,” says Ms.me Desmarteau. Although it will be lit up in a soft, subtle white most of the time, the ring will also take on a few colors from time to time, especially during the holidays.
Mme Desmarteau also wants to be reassuring: unlike 18 shades of gaywhich was only a temporary project, the ring will remain in place “as long as possible”.