Groupe Cardinal Hardy of Montreal has been chosen as the winner, from a shortlist of four multidisciplinary teams, of the Quartier Concordia Urban Planning Competition. The proposal addresses “the university’s tradition of social justice and artistic innovation” and will create out of them “an eclectic urban fabric.” The submission treated public art, green space and meeting spaces as well as the area’s ecology. Place Norman Bethune will act as a centrepiece for the project, providing a strong visual identity for the university. The widening of the de Maisonneuve Boulevard sidewalks and a proposed reduction in frenetic traffic flow will create a more pedestrian-friendly environs, while shrubbery, gardens, signage, lighting, distinctive bike racks, benches and waste disposal units that will be integrated into lampposts will consolidate the school’s identity and also ensure better navigation for area users. The other three teams on a shortlist for the competition included Architects Alliance/NOMADE/DGLA Consortium; Daoust Lestage inc.; and Atelier Urban Soland inc./Louis Paul Lemieux architecte. Shortlisted proposals are on display in the atria of the downtown and Loyola libraries of the university. Groupe Cardinal Hardy’s submission can be viewed at http://buildings.concordia.ca/
