Smith Promenade, Griffintown

The objective of this urban design competition is to transform portions of the roadways and rail corridor in the Griffintown district into public spaces for community use. Griffintown is part of Montréal’s Sud-Ouest borough, bordering the Lachine Canal. Historically, it was an engine of Canada’s dynamic industrial economy. Since the late 20th century the area has been in decline and awaiting a new purpose, and recent decades have seen an influx of new residents, made up in part of artists, creative professionals and self-employed workers. The district is undergoing renewal and conversion, and proving attractive to real estate promoters and citizens in general.

The budget initially allotted for redevelopment of lots 1, 2 and 3 of the Promenade Smith is of the order of $8,637,000 (plus taxes), for an approximate total surface area of 0.95 hectares. The area of intervention for the purposes of the competition is described in the program.

This project competition is:

• An Urban design competition;
• Open;
• Multidisciplinary;
• Canada-wide
• Held in two stages: the first consisting of anonymous proposals, and the second consisting of presentations, with compensation, to be submitted by four (4) finalists.

To be eligible for the competition, each competitor must constitute a team made up of at least two designers, one of whom will act as lead designer. The designers must meet the following criteria at the time of the competition:

• Membership in the Ordre des architectes du Québec or the equivalent in another province;
  or Membership in the Association des urbanistes et aménagistes municipaux du Québec or the equivalent in another province;
  or Membership in the Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec or the equivalent in another province;
  or Membership in the Association des designers industriels du Québec or the equivalent in another province;
• If not a member of any such professional order or association, candidates may provide two letters signed by people who are members in good standing, attesting to peer recognition of their professional practice, and a copy of a relevant university degree;
• Competitors must have their principal place of business in Canada.  

In addition, to be an eligible competitor, each team must register for the competition per the provisions described below.

The jury, which is the same for both stages, comprises the following individuals:

• Georges Adamczyk, tenured professor, École d’architecture, Université de Montréal, jury chair
• Georges Baird, architect, urban designer, professor at John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, University of Toronto
• Eric Bunge, architect, n-architecture, New-York
• Dominique Côté, landscape architect, representative of the Sud-Ouest borough
• Wade Eide, architect, AADU, representative of the Direction du développement économique et urbain, Ville de Montréal;
• Bernard Girard, citizen, representative of the Griffintown citizens
• Peter Soland, architect, landscape architect, urban designer, Urban Soland

Registration is mandatory and free of charge. It allows competitors to obtain the competition documents and to be connected to the professional advisors’ communications network. Competitors must register using the online form.

Confirmation of registration will be sent by return email.

Registration: no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, November 21 (EST)

Stage 1 / Submission of proposals by registered competitors
no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6 (EST)

Stage 2 / Submission of presentations by finalists
no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, February 23 (EST)

Propositions and presentations must be sent to the following address:

Concours de design urbain –Promenade Smith
A/S Bureau du design, Ville de Montréal
303, rue Notre-Dame est, 6^e étage
Montréal, Québec H2Y 3Y8

Any Proposition or Presentation received after the deadline will be returned to the sender without beign opened.

Guy Villemure and Jacques White. The sole address for competition correspondence is: [email protected]