Redesign of a historic public square
Dominating downtown Philips Square is a bronze statue of Edward VII. We decided to supplement the statue’s commemorative functions with our own interests in cultural history: King Edward was renowned for his taste in fashion and was responsible for re-launching the English textile industry at the end of the nineteenth century, popularizing regionally-inspired textile designs in the process. Among these was the Prince of Wales motif, which we used to dress the ground plane of the square. The interwoven paving pattern connects the tastes of the king with the high style of one of Montreal’s most fashionable districts.
