The Art of the Table to Reappropriate Public Space

The team of ADHOC Architects presents the project Your Place at the Table! in Montreal until October 2020 on Sainte-Catherine West, corner Clark. The project was designed with the collaboration of graphic designers Maude Lescarbeau and Camille Blais. The colorful installation was conceived to safely accommodate and attract citizens currently re-appropriating the downtown of Montreal after several weeks of confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The layout is designed to offer passers-by a space to promenade or to sit and relax while respecting current sanitation and social distancing norms.

Rethinking The Future Awards 2021
First Award |  Pop-ups and Temporary (Built)

©Raphaël Thibodeau

The initial mandate was to produce an artistic installation that would attract and stimulate traffic in the public space while maintaining social distancing measures. The TULIP -les Terrasses Urbaines Libres au Public-, is a public amenities space that works in synergy with the supply of local commerces, cultural and touristic attractions. They encourge people to take advantage of the pleasant summer and fall weather and rediscover their city.

©Raphaël Thibodeau

Revitalizing a park known for its ecological qualities by adding a social component

The team added a social component to the 3260m² site by transforming it into a new urban terrace. A 100 meter (300 feet) long “urban table” was precisely implanted between the existing furniture and trees that perforate the elevated, angular metal grille in the center of the site. The table undulates under the canopy of the trees, leaving visitors to discover a succession of staged place settings and varied atmospheres.

An enhanced, friendly and safe experience

Vibrant, custom graphic signage and enchanting lighting brighten up this usually quite shady environment, creating a welcoming atmosphere day and night. Brightening up the surroundings, the color yellow is celebrated in this tone-on-tone installation. This festive, joyous and luminous color palette attracts stares from passers-by and introduces a marked contrast with the monochromatic shades of the existing park. A truly colorful and vivacious oasis in the heart of the city’s downtown, the installation invites curiosity and discovery.

©Raphaël Thibodeau

The project was conceived to allow citizens to re-appropriate this public space while respecting the sanitary regulations defined by public health officials. A large structure and graphic arrow placed at the entrance of the park signals the beginning of the project. The public is then invited to discover the full length of the table and the place settings that punctuate it with eclectic collections of recycled objects. These iconic, gastronomic objects were judiciously placed to subtly foster intuitive social distancing.

In conclusion, the project thus proposes for us to imagine a new way of sharing a moment collectively and safely at the same table. Come experience the art of the table, an attraction marrying local culinary offerings with the unique attractions of the public space of Quartier des Spectacles.

Prenez Place! Your Place at the Table: a moment of reprieve, to eat and drink, night or day, sitting, standing, between friends or alone, as a couple or a family. Welcome!