Walk of the Wind
Lac-Mégantic, CA
Technopôle Angus
Montreal, CA
Four interventions at the heart of a major urban revitalisation project anchor residents and visitors in the story of the neighborhood, weaving moments of joy, curiosity, and connection into collective daily life.
Where
Technopôle Angus, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
At the corner of William-Tremblay and Molson
Experiences for urban transformation
In the east end of Montreal, Technopôle Angus emerged from a community-driven effort to transform a former industrial site into a neighborhood centered on shared needs and sustainable development.
Located along a core pedestrian area, a musical pavement and a multifunctional interpretation center including a community dashboard, community space, and interactive sound installation are presented. They uncover the often-hidden rhythms of the neighborhood’s daily life, amplify the social dimensions of urban transformation, and invite residents to learn about the site’s history to build new futures.
Esquisse
Part of our Musical Pavement series, Esquisse emerged from a desire to honor Montreal architect Claude Provencher, who shaped the vision of Technopôle Angus from its inception until his death in 2022, and was an avid jazz fan. Walking or rolling across the pavement triggers harmonious musical phrases, transforming pedestrians into improvisational jazz musicians. The more people participate, the more complex their compositions become.
Directly integrated into the ground, the pavement reveals itself through the ordinary movements of passerby, transforming everyday commutes into moments of collective play where strangers briefly become musicians together.
Soundtrack created with composer Frank O’Sullivan.
Espace Angus
Espace Angus is a multifunctional space that continues the social and collaborative ethos that Technopôle Angus was built on by inviting the kinds of informal exchange that sustain healthy neighborhoods. Functioning as an exhibition space, a workshop locale, and an interpretation center for the neighborhood and its history, the interior was designed to adapt to a variety of events and uses, acting as a community commons.
Voices of Angus
Tucked into the Espace Angus are the Voices of Angus, an interactive sound installation that tells the story of the people who shaped the neighborhood. Place your hand beneath the glowing tubes to explore the story of the site, and the social impact of over 100 years of urban transformation.
Created with François Péloquin.
Heart of Angus
Across 10 interactive screens, a community dashboard tells stories of the neighborhood based on real-time collected data. Depending on the weather, bus schedules, the arrival of animal species, the state of the bee hives on the roofs, or the level of the rainwater basins, it initiates conversations with residents and visitors of Angus, its mood changing with the state of the neighborhood.
An online interface also allows the public to send messages though the dashboard. Useful information is mixed with words of encouragement and letters from the heart, creating an ever-changing portrait of the community.
Illustration by Mathieu Labrecque
Société de développement Angus
Technopôle Angus sits on land where the Canadian Pacific Railway operated industrial shops for over a century, until their closure in 1992 left thousands without work and the site contaminated. Rather than a typical real estate redevelopment, the Société de développement Angus emerged from community pressure to build something rooted in local needs: mixed-use neighborhoods that could restore employment, provide affordable housing, and demonstrate that sustainability and social economy could anchor urban revival. What developed over nearly three decades is now a lived ecosystem where workers, residents, and thousands of daily visitors participate in public life together.
For Daily tous les jours, Technopôle Angus presented an opportunity to participate in the design of a site built with a holistic consideration for community and environmental vitality, an approach aligned with the studio’s broader values.
