Terre des Hommes 2017 towards a new identity

"To be a Man is to have the conviction that when one lays a brick, one is taking a hand in building the world."

Antoine de St. Exupery, Terre Des Hommes, 1939

STU_01407, Spring 2014 Harvard Graduate School of Design Rene Daoust, Ral Lestage, Jane Hutton Updated 5 Feb. 2014

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN Spring 2014

____________________________________________________________________________________

STU_01407 From the City to the Object / Terre des Hommes 2017 towards a new identity

Rene Daoust, Ral Lestage, Jane Hutton Studio, 8 credits Thursday, Friday, 2-6 PM ____________________________________________________________________________________

Overview

2017 marks three important dates for the City of Montreal:

the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation the 375th anniversary of the City of Montreal the 50th anniversary of Expo 1967.

Expo 1967 Man and His World / Terre des Hommes International Exhibition was a magical moment in the history of the city, a true connection to the world and recognition of Montreals importance in the international community.

Feats of human ingenuity guided all interventions including the enlargement of the Expo site, Ile Sainte-Hlne in the middle of the St-Lawrence River. Excavated material from the underground metro system, built simultaneously, was used to expand the island. The Expo modeled new forms of building and urbanism within the exhibitions perimeter but also re-made the city of Montreal through innovative subway, bus, mini-rail, and water transportation systems that extended far beyond the site. As elevated rails carried visitors through pavilions and encircled the islands, spectacular multi-screen filmic environments transported viewers throughout the world; Expo 67 was a definitively kinetic space. The innovative and creative urban design, architectural, landscape, graphic and urban furniture signature designs were widely celebrated.

Forgotten for almost 30 years, the Expo site has been cleared of all but a few of its original structures. Of the gateways to the island, the Pont de la Concorde (Concordia Bridge) has been transformed into a highway glorifying the vehicular urbanism of the 1980s. Moshe Safdies Habitat 67, Buckminster Fullers US Pavilion, and the Place des Nations are among the remaining elements; some buildings have been appropriated for different uses, others are largely abandoned. In contrast to the Expos much praised site planning, the island is now perceived as underutilized, fragmented, and disconnected from the city of Montreal.

The year 2017 the 50th anniversary of the Expo is an opportunity to revisit the urbanistic ambitions of Expo 67, to speculate about new connections between the island and the city of Montreal, and also for reflecting on the Expos larger philosophical ideas about Man and His World. In preparation of the anniversary, Ile Sainte-Hlne is currently being re-developed and reactivated through layers of new programming, emulating traces of its past and the rich history.

This studio re-positions the Pont de la Concorde and its extensions the southerly linear connection between Montreal and Ile Sainte-Hlne as a critical element in generating a new identity for the Expo site. Projects will address the problematic of creating a gateway to the island and a linear land and bridge promenade over the St-Lawrence River. Learning from Expo 67s spatial experiments in mobility and kinetic and media environments, this studio emphasizes the relationship between large-scale urban mobility and the individuals visual experience. As such, the studio involves a multidisciplinary approach, investigating the site and design solutions from the scale of the city to the object. Students are required to integrate urban design, architecture, landscape, and industrial design ideas into their analysis and response to the project brief. Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Planning students are encouraged to participate.

Site and Program

The overall aim of the studio project is to speculate about connectivity between the city and the island, reinterpreting architectural, landscape and vehicular urbanism. The site is the southerly linear connection between Cit du Havre and Ile Ste Hlne, joined by the Pont de la Concorde. This line is composed of three segments each with their own programmatic challenges:

Segment 1. Cit du Havre Promenade / Avenue Pierre Dupuy

The architectural promenade connections to Montreals urban fabric and the industrial/naval area visual connections to the city, Habitat 67, and the St Lawrence River strategies for mass transportation the urban boulevard strategies for ephemeral and permanent architectural pieces

Segment 2. Inhabited Bridge / Pont de la Concorde

The point of connection to the city and the St Lawrence River an inhabited bridge strategies for mixed use: pedestrians, cyclists, mass transit, cars etc. ephemeral pavilions

Segment 3. Gateway / Place des Nations.

The gateway public space horizontal and vertical portal interconnection to the island and Place des Nations the multi modal hub the multi functional floating space

Course Structure

This studio meets twice weekly on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 2-6:00 PM. Rene Daoust will be in studio every two weeks for presentations and pin-ups. Ral Lestage will be present at mid-term and end of year reviews. Jane Hutton will be in the studio for weekly Thursday and Friday class meetings. There will be bi-weekly presentations on relevant topics by Renee Daoust and other guest speakers. The semester is divided into three related exercises.

Project 1: Historical and Precedent Analysis (2 weeks), groups of two students. Students will evaluate the site through an analysis of the historical and contemporary context of Montreal and Expo 67. This project will be an in depth analysis of a signature layer of the site and/or Expo. Elements for exploration will be: site planning/construction, urban design, architecture and architectural distribution, landscape (natural vs. man-made), mass transportation strategies (water, land, metro), urban furniture, graphics and public art. Precedents will be identified for their relevance to the specific element and to the whole, including linear public spaces, gateways, international exhibitions, multi-modal platforms and stations, access pavilions, ephemeral and permanent architectural pieces, and event spaces. Transitioning from Project 1 to Project 2, students will (individually or in groups) prepare a synthesis of the elements listed above. This synthesis is expected to drive the remainder of the studio work and will include both historical and precedent analysis.

Project 2: Conceptual Approach + Master Plan (5 weeks), groups of two students. Building on the work of Project 1, students will translate their analysis into a conceptual approach and master plan for the site. This step will include diagrams illustrating both an analysis of and comprehension of the site as well as drawings representing the overall concept and master plan for segments 1, 2 + 3. It is expected that the first 2 weeks of the project will be dedicated to development of a conceptual approach. Following the site visit in Montreal, the three remaining weeks will allow for refinement of the conceptual approach and definition of the master plan.

Project 3: Final Design for Linear Park + Arrival Site (7 weeks), individually or in groups of two students The final project will include detailed design development of 1 or 2 of the project segments. Final projects will illustrate a multi-disciplinary approach to the site addressing the multi-modal, multi-functional and seasonal requirements of the project. Students designs will include the development of signature layers for the project at all scales from urban, architectural and landscape to lighting, graphics and site furnishings.

Site Visit. A trip to Montreal is planned for February 21 through 23nd. Friday afternoon there will be visits to Daoust Lestages International district (QIM) including CDP Capital building and the Theater District (QDS) and Vitrines Habites. Saturday will begin with a visit to the site followed by lunch with the president of the Socit du parc Jean Drapeau and access to their archives. Travel will be by bus leaving early on Friday morning, the 21st, and returning on Sunday afternoon, the 23rd.

Grading/Participation. Grades will be based on work associated with Project 1 (15%), Project 2 (35%), and Project 3 (50%). Attendance and engaged participation are critical to the studios culture; please turn off cellphones while in class.

Blog/ Base Documents and Representation. There is a course wordpress blog linked to the course iSite that can be used to share research and proposals from the studio. Base documents and drawings are available on the course iSites. For consistency across the class, all drawings and models will be produced using metric scales.

*Initials indicate when Rene Daoust, RD, and Real Lestage, RL, will be in studio. Jane Hutton will be present for all of the studio meetings. [RD] indicates a Webex meeting with Rene.

WK DATE * TOPIC / PRESENTATION RM

WK1 24-Jan. RD Studio Introduction / Project 1 and Site Introduction Presentation of Daoust Lestage Conceptual Approach: From the city to the object, importance of the use of signature elements at all scales and the genius loci and presentation on Expo.

109

WK2 30-Jan. Group Discussion 42 Kirk.

31-Jan. Desk Crits Studio

WK3 6-Feb. RD Project 1.1 Pin-Up Presentation of Daoust Lestage projects illustrating approach to translation of analysis into a conceptual approach; Project 2 Introduction

109

7-Feb. No Desk Crits Studio

WK4 13-Feb. [RD] Group discussion of precedents, Webex meeting with Rene 4thLounge

14-Feb. Group Desk Crits 4thLounge

WK5 20-Feb Desk Crits - Project 2.1 Online Submission (8 PM Feb. 20) Studio RD/RL Montreal Site Visit 21- 23 February 21-Feb. Visits to QIM + CDP, QDS + VH, Dinner at Brasserie T! 22-Feb. Visit project site, lunch with President Socit du parc Jean-Drapeau, access to

parc Jean Drapeau archives

WK6 27-Feb. Discussion of Conceptual Approach as informed by site visit 4thLounge

28-Feb. Desk Crits Studio

WK7 6-Mar. [RD] Group Meeting, Webex discussion with Rene 121

7-Mar. Desk Crits Studio

WK8 13-Mar. Desk Crits Studio

14-Mar. RD /RL Mid-term Review Project 2: Conceptual Approach + Master Plan Project 3 Introduction

Stubbins (112)

WK9 20-Mar. Spring Recess

21-Mar. Spring Recess

WK10 27-Mar. Desk Crits Studio

28-Mar. RD Project 3 Interim Pin-Up: students present work to date, segment(s) selected and rationale for selection

4thLounge

WK11 3-Apr. Desk Crits Studio

4-Apr. Desk Crits Studio

WK12 10-Apr. Desk Crits Studio

11-Apr. RD Project 3 Interim Pin-up 4thLounge

WK13 17-Apr. Desk Crits Studio

18-Apr. Desk Crits Studio

WK 14 24-Apr. Desk Crits; Renee Daoust Public Lecture Studio

25-Apr. RD Project 3 Interim Pin-up TBD

WK 15 TBD RD/RL Final Review TBD

Readings and Resources. To complement individual research, the following resources on Montreal and Expo 67 are available:

Required Readings, on course iSite Marcel Fournier, A Society in Motion: the Quiet Revolution and the Rise of the Middle Class. In The 60s: Montreal Thinks Big, Andr Lortie (ed). Canadian Centre for Architecture, P. 31-74. Banham, Reyner. Montreal Mega-city, Megastructure: urban futures of the recent past. London : Thames and Hudson, 1976. Schmertz, Mildred F. "Expo 67: A Brilliantly Ordered Visual World." Architectural Record 7th ser. July (1967): 115-26.

"Expo 67: An Experiment in the Development of Urban Space." Architectural Record 4th ser. 144.October (1966): 169-76. Blake, Peter. "Downtown in 3-D." Architectural Forum 2nd ser. 125.September (1966): 31-49.

Additional Articles & Resources, on course iSite Baker, Jeremy. "Expo and the Future City." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 151-54.

"Carte Dtaille, Expo 67, Environs De Montral." Map. Canadian Universal and International Exhibition.

Diamond, Abel Joseph. "Expo 67." AIA Journal 2nd ser. XLVII.February (1967): 42-56. Duchamps, Yves. "Les Van Ginkel: L'exposition Comme Outil De Culture." ARQ: Architecture Quebec 160.August (2012): 12-18.

Expo 67: The Life of Your Time." Expo 67: The Canadian Universal and International Exhibition 1965. Marchessault, Janine. Living Space: The New Media City of Expo 67. In Media in Transition 6: Stone and Papyrus; Storage and Transmission. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 24-26 April 2009. Richards, J.M. "Expo 67: Design Commentary." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 155-65. Richards, J.M. "Expo 67: Habitat." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 143-50.

Richards, J.M. "Expo 67: The National Pavilions." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 108-35. Richards, J.M. "Expo 67: Theme and Permanent Buildings." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 186-92. Richards, J.M. "Multi-Level City." Architectural Review 846th ser. CXLII.August (1967): 86-107.

Rorei, Albert. "Man and His World; Terre Des Hommes : A Summary of the Theme of the 1967 World Exhibition." Expo 67 Mar. 1967: 2-9.

Books on Reserve at Loeb Design Library

Bantey, Bill. Bill Bantey's Expo 67. Montreal: Gazette Pub., 1967. Official Guide Expo 67: April 28-October 27, 1967, Montral, Canada. (Toronto: Maclean-Hunter, 1967) Robert Fulford. This was Expo. (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1968.)

Rhona Richman Kenneally and Johanne Sloan (Eds). Expo 67: not just a souvenir. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010).

Andr Lortie, Olivo Barbieri et al. The 60s: Montreal thinks big. (Canadian Centre for Architecture; Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2004). John Lownsbrough, The best place to be: Expo 67 and its time. (Toronto: Allen Lane, 2012).

On line Archives Links to selected online archives are on the course iSite. There are many digitized images from Expo 67 available online. Please take note of photo authorship and source information and be diligent about referencing.