Montreal celebrated its 375^th birthday in 2017, with the inauguration of several “legacy” projects”. One of these was a new park located only steps away from the city’s Botanical Garden and its iconic Olympic Stadium. Named after Italian-born artist Guido Nincheri, the park was part of a much larger urban scheme, which included the widening of the Botanical Garden’s entrance and the radical transformation of a busy traffic intersection. It was also designed as a symbolic gateway to Espace pour la vie (Space for Life), a highly popular cluster of facilities dedicated to life sciences exhibitions.

Undulating red lines allude to the sap flowing up the trunk of a tall tree

For the firm civiliti, the prime source of inspiration was the image of a tall tree trunk, cut lengthwise and laid on its side. Undulating red lines running through the entire length of the site allude to the sap flowing up the trunk. Knots are transposed into raised oval planters and seating areas. Curvilinear borders and low walls, defining the trunk’s outer limits, create a transition between the strong graphics and the subtler paving pattern suggestive of bark.

The narrative was first explored in schematic drawings showing the linear movements, the patterns and the meandering surface gutters that channel rainwater to the park’s catchment basins. The integration of vegetation, textures and seating elements was carefully studied as was the ambience lighting meant to put subtle emphasis on the park’s new and existing features.

The Parc Guido-Nincheri features an artistic installation bequeathed by Quebec City to commemorate Montreal’s anniversary. Artist Jean-Robert Drouillard’s installation took the form of four columns supporting figures of young men and women dressed in baseball uniforms. Numbers inscribed in the back of the figures refer to important dates in the history of Montre al. The architects collaborated with the artist to insure a dynamic integration of the columns within the overall pattern.

The Parc Guido-Nincheri has become a lively transitional space between high-density low-scale neighborhoods and the more imposing metropolitan-scale facilities of Espace pour la vie. The park, which replaced a busy intersection, has quickly gained the approval of the surrounding community.

Client: Ville de Montréal, Service des infrastructures, de la voirie et des transports, Division des Grands projets (2017)

Landscape Architects: civiliti

Civil and Electrical Engineers: AXOR Experts-Conseils

Lighting Designers: UDO Design

Artist: Jean-Robert Drouillard

About civiliti 

Founded by Peter Soland and Fannie Duguay-Lefebvre, civiliti is a Montreal-based urban design and landscape architecture firm known for its contemporary interventions in the metropolitan area. These include Escales découvertes (Discovery Halts), a series of poetical interventions located on Montreal’s famed Mount Royal and the architectural and lighting concepts of the University of Montreal’s new MIL Campus Viaduct.

The award-winning firm has recently won several urban design and landscape architecture competitions.