EXPERIMENTING WITH THE FUTURE OF URBAN SIGNAGE IN MONTREAL’S QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

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As part of its Lighting Plan, the Quartier des spectacles is exploring the possibilities of light for creating signage and expressing identity. A recent pilot project experiments with projecting light onto the pavement to mark the urban landscape.

This intervention, realized as part of the Montreal All-Nighter, reinforces the brand image of the cultural heart of the metropolis by bringing together light and graphic design.

The system shows pedestrians the way to major nearby venues, and highlights their presence in the Quartier des spectacles, as they cross at the intersection of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Denis streets. The preliminary installation, still an experimental prototype, was made up of projectors suspended from towers and synchronized with the existing traffic lights at the intersection. The projections illuminated only the crosswalks, clearly indicating safe pedestrian passages across the street. It’s a unique way to show visitors the ebullient cultural activity in the Quartier des spectacles, right on the neighbourhood’s main drag of Sainte-Catherine Street.

“I found it very convincing. As a whole, it's original, festive and attractive, and the signage works really well”, underlines Réal Lestage from Daoust Lestage, one of the architects behind the Special Planning Program (SPP) of the Place des Arts area.

The project was realized in collaboration with the City of Montreal, particularly the Bureau des festivals et des événements, the Service de police (SPVM) and the City’s traffic experts.