Présences du littéraire dans l’espace public canadien

All roads lead here

(Even before we speak.)

Nicole Valois imagine a projection light on the pavement of the Place Norman Bethune. This allows pedestrians to follow a moving sentence that says: "Suis-moi". Roberto Zancan, he said one of the passages from the Book of Benjamin where the author refers to the gesture of putting his finger on a card saying: "On était ici". Steve Savage, finally, suggests a curious misunderstanding of the first day that the head is here. One time, nobody knows where it is, here. We are not surprised when we think it is a point that puts us on a map, and here are two ... Just be a bit careful with words, within the meaning of words, to see here, a palindrome, go in all directions. That will help.

Where is it

The chosen site is bounded on the south by Rene Levesque, north of Sherbrooke, to the east by Crescent and west by  Saint-Mathieu.

Orientation

The project is called iCi Concordia, and it applies to be two places (at least) at once. It is made of green roofs treated typographically.

The project's goal is to give a real identity and virtual Quartier Concordia designing a signature green and unique.

Deployment

iCi Concordia unfolds from a place and a word. (See Figure 1)

The place: the roof

On rooftops, we seek to design a space (including green lines indicate the heights, circumscribe areas) which, seen from the sky, can be kissed look. Where the green can be installed (ground covers, planters, shrubs), other materials (glass, paint, fabric) can be used to maintain the visual link.

The word Ici

The word Ici (here) is first treated as a subject. Its elements: point, line and the half-circle are simple forms from which complex patterns can be labyrinthine, will be composed.

The word Ici with a capital becomes logo. It recalls the original C "Concordia".

Dictionary

We have also established a lexicon whose terms have, somehow, Ici (here) embedded in their flesh: artICulatIon, dIreCtIon, domICIle... The dictionary has over two miles. Our selection - keyword ideas - stops at a hundred. These words, as our reasons, could be carved into the green or printed. (See Figure 2 and 3)

A direction

We also considered creating a sort of constellation from certain points on which i would be colored or illuminated: an informed public space. Seen from the sky, stars. Thus the explorers were moving to another era, rediscovered their here. But here, the lights are on Earth. With the Internet and Google Maps, visual sign is easily accessible, instantly recognizable: Constellation de la Concorde ... (See Figure 4)

Etc.. : Maps, posters, a walk on the roof

On the facade of the buildings that host green roofs, cards posters inform passersby, inviting them to visit the place, to invent a route, from rooftop to rooftop. In this way, the project is reinstated at street level and human scale. (See Figure 5)

The ending: A variation

iCi Concordia hollow real space and mental space, and grows ... Let us in conclusion this idea of Nicole Valois mentioned in early presentation. Imagine a parade of words on the pavement, climbing on walls, rising on the roofs, that say « Suis-moi... ici. »