The Ring
The Ring
Montréal (Québec), Canada

The Ring is an elegant 30-meter diameter stainless steel aerial work, “floating” between Place Ville Marie Towers 2/3 and 4, in the axis of Mount Royal. Conceived as part of the PVM Esplanade Revitalization Project, it contributes to the revitalization of the downtown and business district.

The huge staircase connecting the esplanade to Cathcart Street allows people to walk under this monumental work that opens onto McGill College Avenue and its emblematic buildings. From the esplanade, It highlights a unique visual perspective where the McGill University campus, the architecture of the Victoria Hospital, the steep slope of Mount Royal, and the Mount Royal Cross follow one another. The Ring frames this axis of strength and contributes to the physical, symbolic, and functional articulation of Place Ville Marie pole, which marked the birth of the modern city. Its monumentality is a strong response to the architectural density of the area.

Softly lit to ensure its presence by day and night, The Ring dialogues with the illuminated cross of Mount Royal and the crowns of the neighboring buildings. This moon effect enriches the Montreal sky with a clear, straightforward, legible symbol.

This artistic installation reinforces the timeless character of the whole of Place Ville Marie through a gesture of great sobriety, of an elegance that gives a dimension of durability. The Ring is a unifying project, a new element of the Montréalité, a proof of love for Place Ville Marie, downtown Montreal and Mount Royal.

Client
Ivanhoé Cambridge

Collaboration
Claude Bernard – Formaviva Inc. (advisor - fabrication and installation), Gilles Arpin – Ombrages / EP Éclairage Public (lighting designer), Franz Knoll - NCK (structural engineer), Michel Dallaire (advisor - industrial designer), COHÉSIO Architecture (masonry and sealing), Stantec (engineering - electrical and mechanical), The Attain Group (integration - technology), MARMEN (machining, fabrication, assembly), BendTec (tube bending), JCB Construction Canada (building work), RWDI (wind studies), Patrice Blain Entrepreneur Electricien Inc. (electricity), Sablage au Jet 2000 (blasting)

Area
30 m diameter

Awards

2023
People’s Choice Award – AZ Awards (Azure) – Urban Design: Interventions Category
Jury’s Award of Excellence – Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) – Awards of Excellence
National Award – Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) – Awards of Excellence – Small-Scale Public Landscapes Category
Prix de Tourisme Montréal pour la relance du centre-ville – Prix Distinction
Prix Montréal centre-ville – Prix Alliance du centre-ville

Year
2020-2022

Status
Completed

Categories
Heritage
Installation
Photo, 2022 - David Boyer
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, 2022 - David Boyer
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, 2022 - Jean-François Savaria
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - Marmen
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - CCxA
Photo, in construction, 2022 - Marmen
Timelapse, 2022 - Ivanhoé Cambridge
Rendering - CCxA based on a redering by Sid Lee Architecture / Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes / Ivanhoé Cambridge
Rendering - CCxA
Contextual plans - CCxA, from the original plan of the Et Sillon project by Civiliti + Mandaworks et SNC Lavalin on McGill College Avenue for the City of Montreal
Elevation - CCxA, from the original cross-section of the Et Sillon project by civiliti + Mandaworks and SNC Lavalin on McGill College Avenue
Rendering - CCxA
Rendering - CCxA
Rendering - CCxA
Rendering - CCxA
Rendering - CCxA
Rendering - CCxA
Video - CCxA
Plan and elevation - CCxA
Photo, Esplanade Place Ville-Marie, 1962 - © Courtoisie de SITQ - Place Ville-Marie, © Héritage Montréal
Photo, Esplanade Place Ville-Marie, c. 1986 - Sid Lee Architecture / Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes / Ivanhoé Cambridge
Rendering, revitalization of Esplanade Place Ville-Marie - Sid Lee Architecture / Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Architectes / Ivanhoé Cambridge
Diagram - CCxA
Diagram - CCxA
Video, 2022 - Ivanhoé Cambridge