Eugénie Manseau and Philippe Carreau, laureates

Eugénie Manseau and Philippe Carreau design street furniture that they describe as “public interval objects”—or, if you will, moments to pause and wait that punctuate one’s path through the city. They plan to study the various ways in which these interval objects (bus shelters, public benches, Wi-Fi terminals, bike-share hubs) are used in Seoul, a “digital city” known for integrating new technologies to serve users.

This study trip will enable the pair to investigate the contributions of digital technology to the physical space of the city as well as obsolete technologies in urban contexts. Following their research, they will conceptualize a model of public interval typology incorporating services adapted to a North American urban context such as Montréal’s, based on the experience of Asian cities. The concept developed as well as the results of their approach will be detailed on a website.

“The Phyllis Lambert Design Montréal Grant will allow us to visit Seoul this year. We are interested in urban objects and the ways in which they occupy public space, so we are curious to see first-hand how an Asian city deals with its significant constraints in terms of space and population density. Since Seoul is one of the most high-tech cities in the world, this trip will also be a chance for us to analyze and think about the presence and use of digital technology in the public sphere. The summary of our observations will spur conceptual research, which we will then disseminate thanks to the support of the Bureau du design.”