Multidisciplinary design and architect firm, Provencher_Roy, has restored the Grand Quay cruise terminal in Montréal’s Old Port, along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Since the public opening in 2018, pedestrians have had the liberty to stroll along Promenade d’Iberville, a landscaped esplanade, which features a wooden terrace and over 30,000 aromatic plants, located on the roof of the terminal.
Wide wooden steps and staircases have been built to give pedestrians access to the upper pathway made of fire-resistant red cedar.
At one end of the garden roof, a staircase leads to a green meadow that slopes down toward the river guiding the public to the Commencement Square.
Located at the tip of the Grand Quay is a vast plain where passengers can gather, reflect, sunbathe, and host numerous events.
Green zones and trees have been integrated into the site’s design, as well as five light wells, which dot the elevated promenade.
The renovation of the pedestrian path completes the Old Port’s network of public spaces while rebuilding ties between the city and the port.
The landscaping also enables more fluid circulation for vehicular access to the port facilities and to the parking spaces that are still available in the former hangars. The site’s access authorizes cyclists, users of public transit, and electric cars.
According to developers, since 2007, the passenger and crew member volume has risen from 35,000 to nearly 127,000 in 2018.
The team suggests that few people visited this site in the past, and did so for the sole purpose of boarding a cruise ship.
Provencher_Roy, and the Port of Montréal, were willing to offer a modern, integrated vision of the port infrastructures that meets its expectations, and revitalize the neighbourhood.
“From the project’s inception, it was our intent to extend the Old Port’s linear park onto the pier. We wanted to create a space that emphasizes the richness of the site while also providing a park, a place to relax, and a space that people could make their own,” said Sonia Gagné, partner and architect at Provencher_Roy.