Hortus Voluptatis Wins ASLA Honour Award

Place des Nations was built as part of Man and His World, the major development project of the Universal Exhibition of 1967. It hosted foreign dignitaries and thousands of participants in numerous ceremonies and events during the World’s Fair.  At the prow of Ile Sainte-Hélène on the Saint Lawrence River and an important witness of Expo 67 Universal Exhibition, Place des Nations has been neglected for the past 30 years. Recognized as a landmark by Heritage Montreal, Place des Nations faces an important design challenge to reinstate itself as an iconic urban design, landscape and architectural statement to overcome its demolition.  This project examined the history of this urban theatre, its rehabilitation, future utilization and redesign at all scales, while strategically addressing political and economic viability.

The project titled Hortus Voluptatis or Pleasure Garden, reimagined Place des Nations as a horticulturally charged repository to safe guard personal memories, iconic memorabilia and the architectural heritage of the Expo 67 event.  Removing the original spectator seating reveals the internal partition walls of the original design by André Blouin.  Surrounding these walls are a series of unique gardens that reflect the idiosyncratic character of the pavilions that played a critical part of expo 67.  A design museum dedicated to the memory of Expo 67 and functioning as a contemporary design museum gives the site a permanence and attracts daily visitors.  The central area of the site uses the reflective quality of water to introduce the ‘fourth dimension’ to animate the space with reflective light, passing clouds and playfulness.  Inflections in the paving capture and retain water, transforming the hard central space into an elegant skin of ephemeral reflectivity.  As the water evaporates, different geometries emerge before the square returns to a flexible stage for myriad events and cultural celebrations.

The project won the highest accolade that the ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) awards.