The Ville de Montréal announces the launch of an ideas competition for the development of new taxi stands. A maximum total prize amount of $40,000 will be distributed to the competition winners.
Le taxi prend ses aires!
Ideas Competition
March 10, 2010
Objective of the Competition
Designers in all disciplines are invited to propose innovative solutions for enhancing taxi customers' and drivers' experience of this public space they share.
The existing taxi stands have many shortcomings, from the point of view of both drivers and customers. These spaces lack visibility and a specific identity, such that, from the perspective of citizens, the very concept of the taxi stand is abstract: the spaces remain to be defined, and even created in some cases. The general objective of the competition is to spur debate around, and interest in, the quality of public spaces in Montréal, and to enable designers to offer their visions for development of those spaces. The ideas competition therefore aims to nurture reflection on this issue.
The design competition is being administered by the Design Montréal office of the Ville de Montréal with the co-operation of the Bureau du taxi et du remorquage de la Ville de Montréal and support from the taxi industry.
Context
This competition is one of the five “shukôs,” or creative challenges, issued during the Pecha Kucha Night for Elected Officials by the Mayor of Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, as part of the commitments made by the Ville de Montréal and its partners in the Action Plan 2007–2017 – Montréal, Cultural Métropolis. One of the goals of this plan is to promote excellence in design and architecture by widening the use of competitions, which in turn will help position Montréal as a UNESCO City of Design.
The City has launched several other design competitions in recent months, including for the development of mobile street furniture for use by festivals, the design of a new bus shelter, and the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Champ-de-Mars métro station.
Type of Competition
This ideas competition is:
- Anonymous
- Open
- Without registration fees
- Provincial in scope
- A single-stage competition
Eligibility
The ideas competition is open to all design professionals, students or consortia whose main place of business is in Québec.
Prizes
A maximum total prize amount of $40,000 will be distributed to the competition winners.
The total amount breaks down as follows:
- $35,000 to be distributed evenly among a maximum of five co-winners determined by the jury;
- $2,500 for the winner of the Jury Prize (selected among the co-winners);
- $2,500 for the People's Choice (selected among the co-winners).
Jury
The jury comprises the following individuals:
- Jean-Guy Chabauty, Industrial Designer, Moderno
- Isabelle D'Astous, Co-creative Director, Sid Lee
- Michel Dufresne, Urban Planner, Groupe Cardinal-Hardy
- Carl Gagnon, President, Imago
- Lucy Mungiovi, Director of Convention Services, Tourisme Montréal
- Dory Saliba, President, Proprio Taxi
- Sylvain Villeneuve, Urban Planner, Division Chief, Urban Planning, Ville-Marie Borough, Ville de Montréal
Substitute Jury:
- Patrick Messier, industrial designer, Messier Designers Inc., president of the Association of Canadian Industrial Designers
Registration
Registration is free and mandatory. Each entrant must complete the online form by April 20, 2010.
Submission and deadline
Proposals must then be submitted before noon on May 18, 2010, to the following address:
Concours d'idées Le taxi prend ses aires!
A/S de Véronique Rioux, conseillère professionnelle
Bureau Design Montréal
303, rue Notre-Dame Est, 6e étage
Montréal (Québec) H2Y 3Y8
Information
Prospective entrants who have questions must submit them to the competition's professional advisor, Véronique Rioux, by e-mail at veronique.rioux@sympatico.ca, by April 20, 2010.