Place Ville Marie: Montreal's Shining Landmark

Collectif

Description

This book traces the fascinating history of what Montrealers still call the city’s “grande dame”. From the complex’s earliest beginnings with developer William Zeckendorf, through its later transformations, the reader will discover in these pages a broad swath of our architectural heritage, replete with lavish illustrations.
Authored by a team of seasoned writers to coincide with the celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the complex, this book is intended for both architecture enthusiasts, the people who shaped this showplace of corporate life, and anyone who is simply curious to know more about the circumstances surrounding the creation of this skyscraper that has been, is still today, and will continue to be, the pride of Montrealers.

Sujets

• Architecture
• 1962
• Années 1960
• Montréal
• Gratte-ciel
• Ieoh Ming Pei
• Place Ville-Marie
• I. M. Pei
• 1960s
• Building
• Montreal
• Place Ville Marie

Informations

• Publié par: Québec Amérique
• Date de parution: 21 septembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9782764411728
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 13 Mo

Extrait

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and Library and Archives Canada cataloguing in publication
Main entry under title:
Place Ville Marie: Montreal’s shining landmark
Translation of: Place Ville Marie: l’immeuble phare de Montréal.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-2-7644-1130-8 (paper)
ISBN 978-2-7644-1159-9 (PDF)
ISBN 978-2-7644-1172-8 (EPUB)
1. Place Ville-Marie (Montréal, Québec). I. Linteau, Paul-André, 1946-… .
FC2947.8.P53P5213 2012 725’.20971428 C2012-941324-0





Legal deposit: Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2012
Legal deposit: Library and Archives Canada, 2012
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles du Québec (SODEC) to the publication and promotion of this book.
Government of Québec–Tax credit for book publishing–Administered by SODEC
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) and the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing activities.

Québec Amérique
329, De la Commune Street West, 3 rd floor
Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 2E1
T: 514 499-3000 F: 514 499-3010



Editorial director: Isabelle Longpré
Revision: Violaine Ducharme
Translation: Bradford Terry and Nancy Locke, Trans-IT Translations
Graphic design: Célia Provencher-Galarneau
Front cover photo: Stéphan Poulin
Iconography and reproduction rights: Pierre-Yves Villeneuve
Translation coordinator: Myriam Caron Belzile
Production: Michel Viau and Anne-Marie Fortin
Conversion to ePub: Studio C1C4 For any technical question about this ePub: [e-mail]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Copyright © 2012 Éditions Québec Amérique Inc.
www.quebec-amerique.com

THE “GRANDE DAME” IN THE 1960s
View of the complex looking northeast.

A COMMANDING EDIFICE
This low-angle view brings out the purity of the building’s architectural lines.
MODERN FROM THE OUTSET

Place Ville Marie is, without a doubt, one of the most prestigious and famous real estate assets in Montreal. Perhaps the most significant business complex in the world at the time of its construction with more than 3.4 million square feet of space, the building has contributed substantially to Montreal’s bold and modern appearance and its ranking as a world-class city. For more than 50 years, Place Ville Marie has defined the skyline of this metropolis nestled in the province of Quebec, embodying one of the city’s most powerful symbols.
Place Ville Marie has the honour of accommodating more than 100 well-known Canadian and international companies that have found there the energy, vitality and prosperity that they seek. More than 10,000 people work for these companies and breathe life into the complex on a daily basis. Most are also among the 20 million who visit its shopping mall or stroll on the spectacular plaza ever year.
Endowed with an exceptional historical heritage, Place Ville Marie has also kept pace with the times. Successfully evolving over the years, staying several steps ahead of its tenants’ needs, the complex has provided both an incomparable business environment and a welcoming urban space, bustling with activity. Thanks to constant efforts to maintain both the building and its exceptional quality, this archetype of technological know-how dating back to the early 1960s still exerts its influence as a prestigious building on the cutting edge of technology, and at the forefront of managerial and sustainable development best-practices.
We are proud to take part in the celebration of Place Ville Marie’s 50 th anniversary through the publication of this magnificent book, a passionate and rewarding portrait of the history of Montreal’s crown jewel. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the authors–France Vanlaethem, Sarah Marchand, Paul-André Linteau and Jacques-André Chartrand–all specialists in their respective fields, who will help you discover, or rediscover, the complex we affectionately call “the Grande Dame of Montreal”.
Enjoy!

The team from Ivanhoé Cambridge,
which co-owns and manages Place Ville Marie.

The team from AIMco,
which co-owns Place Ville Marie.
France Vanlaethem

© Mélanie Fordham

With a degree in architecture from the École de La Cambre in Belgium, France Vanlaethem is an associate professor at the École de design de l’Université du Québec à Montréal and founding president of DoCoMoMo Québec, an association working to preserve and inform people about innovative 20 th century architecture in Quebec. Her research interests include the history and preservation of modern architecture in Canada and Belgium. She has recently published Sur les traces du Montréal moderne et du domaine de l’Estérel au Québec / Discovering Modern Montreal and the Estérel Resort in Quebec, Conservation de l’art contemporain et de l’architecture moderne: L’authenticité en question , and L’architecture et le patrimoine moderne du Québec .
She is currently working as a modern heritage consultant with government agencies and private companies. She has been a member of Quebec’s Commission of Cultural Property and the Montreal Heritage Council, and she sits on the Arts and Heritage Committee of the Montreal Transportation Company and the Heritage Committee of the Montreal School Board.
In this first monograph on Place Ville Marie, France Vanlaethem explores the architectural features of the building and looks at the team that participated in its development. She also sheds light on the many technical challenges that could have become obstacles to the completion of this impressive undertaking.
Sarah Marchand

© Mélanie Fordham

Sarah Marchand is a professional writer who for more than 15 years has worked regularly with numerous Quebec-based companies of various sizes from a variety of industries, including Ivanhoé Cambridge. A specialist in corporate communications and organizational issues, she works on behalf of her clients to produce a variety of documents and publications intended for both internal and external audiences. She also writes speeches and memoranda that address a broad range of issues. She is also co-author of the book Investir, construire et habiter le monde – Les 25 ans de SITQ , published in 2009.
For this work on Place Ville Marie, Marchand focuses on the development of the complex over the years, the enormous task of managing and maintaining the facility, and the relationship that the tenants have with this place. In the course of her work on this project, Marchand was able to observe that, thanks to the excellent care provided by its owners over the years, Place Ville Marie remains a coveted address in the competitive downtown Montreal market. Through innumerable discussions and interviews, she has seen the deep attachment that the occupants–and Montrealers generally–have to the city’s landmark building.
Paul-André Linteau

© Mélanie Fordham

Born in Montreal, Paul-André Linteau is a historian and professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal. He is passionate about the history of his city, having taught classes on the subject for a number of years and published several related books and articles, including Histoire de Montréal depuis la Confédération, Brève histoire de Montréal and La rue Sainte-Catherine: au cœur de la vie montréalaise.
Linteau has written extensively, authoring or coauthoring works such as Histoire du Canada, Histoire du Québec contemporain and France-Canada-Québec: 400 ans de relations d’exception , to name just a few. He has won numerous awards for his work, is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and serves as a scientific consultant for a number of Montreal-area museums.
For this publication, he situates the Place Ville Marie project in the broader context of development in downtown Montreal. As just one example of the discoveries he made while examining historical documents for this project, Linteau learned that the site where Place Ville Marie now stands was once home not only to opulent houses, but also a curling club and Turkish baths.
Jacques-André Chartrand

© Mélanie Fordham

After completing a degree in history at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Jacques-André Chartrand worked in the field of information for public and semi-public companies such as Bell, Hydro-Québec and SITQ–Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, before eventually launching his own communications consulting firm. At the same time, he continued his professional training in management and communication.
With an interest in community action and the development of his profession, he became actively involved in a number of associations in the areas of environment, energy, education and philanthropy. He has also served as president of the Société des relationnistes du Québec, an provincial association for public relati