Îlot des Voltigeurs in Montreal is one of the first phases in the redevelopment and transformation of the former Molson Brewery site into a new neighborhood, a significant piece of industrial heritage in Montreal.
The architectural and landscape strategies combine the preservation and enhancement of the existing architecture with contemporary modifications and insertions. The landscape approach aims to unify the site while establishing it as the eastern-most gateway to the Old Port, serving as the industrial counterpart to the historic Pointe-à-Callières at the western limit. This is reflected in the use of granite paving that extends throughout the site and serves as a unifying element across a series of corridors, plazas, and gateways. Echoing the noble material palette of Old Montreal, the granite unifies the public realm while giving it a distinct character befitting the prestige of the neighborhood. A curation of artifacts salvaged from the site displayed throughout the public spaces and repurposed in new forms recall the industrial processes of the brewery. Three water feature basins, in colors reminiscent of a beer flight are located where a series of silos once stood, acknowledging the site’s industrial past and infusing the public space with a playful and interactive element.
The redevelopment strategy places strong emphasis on active mobility and pedestrian scale experience. The redesign of public spaces, the integration of pedestrian and bicycle routes, and enhanced connections to public transit networks will reconnect the block into the existing urban fabric to foster a more accessible, safe, and welcoming neighborhood. At the central plaza at the heart of the site, a granite paving pattern evoking a 24-bottle case of beer is generously scaled to host flexible and dynamic programming at the intersection of pedestrian flows, guiding people to discover more intimate spaces while revealing iconic views of the river, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, and Île-Sainte-Hélène
