On the boundary between Chinatown, the International Quarter, and Old Montreal, the Esplanade of the Palais des congrès de Montréal serves as a vibrant gathering space for local residents, conference delegates, and tourists alike.

Our biggest challenge for this project: building atop a parking garage without breaking the bank. We transformed the monolithic concrete slab into a generous public garden through a series of vegetation-carpeted earth mounds, each topped by a clutch of crab apple trees, the city’s official tree. Stone borders and meandering paths in Montreal limestone complete the urban oasis, which blooms each May in an explosion of pink and fuchsia hues.

This sensual environment appeals to a broad and diverse audience. Over the course of a day it serves as a place for midday breaks, a site for picnic lunches, a rendezvous point, a plaza for early-morning Tai-chi enthusiasts, and the list goes on.