Establishment of an advisory committee for urban and architectural integration

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is the largest public transit construction endeavour launched in Quebec in the last 50 years. In order to ensure the new transit network integrates seamlessly into the various living environments and communities it will serve, the REM project office and the City of Montréal have announced the launch of an advisory committee whose purpose will be to discuss the REM’s urban and architectural integration.

From the very beginning of the network’s planning stages, the REM project office has worked in close collaboration with the City of Montréal to define the vision for integrating the project into its surroundings. The purpose of this common vision is to create a strong architectural signature that will be carried across the entire REM network, enabling users to quickly recognize the REM stations wherever they go.

Guidelines were developed and submitted to the qualified consortiums within the framework of the request for proposals process, enabling them to develop their own design charters. These design charters were evaluated separately by independent experts. The NouvLR consortium, the successful consortium, developed a design charter and will be responsible for applying it to the REM design. NouvLR is a consortium formed of various companies, including the Lemay, Bisson Fortin, Perkins + Will and Provencher Roy architectural firms.

In order to monitor the implementation of the design charter, the City of Montréal and the REM project office have established an urban and architectural integration advisory committee for the REM. Composed of seven members, all renowned in their respective fields of expertise, the advisory committee's mandate is to submit comments and observations to the REM project office regarding the various components of the project’s architectural signature and its integration into the urban landscape. Members who accepted this mandate are as follows:

• Ms. Mouna Andraos, co-founder of the Daily tous les jours studio
• Mr. Martin Brière, from BGLA Architecture + Design urbain, and representative of the Ordre des architectes du Québec
• Mr. Dinu Bumbaru, Policy Director for Héritage Montréal
• Mr. Luc Gagnon, Director of the Service de la mise en valeur du territoire, Ville de Montréal
• Ms. Suzy Peate, Executive Coordinator – Metropolitan urban planning for the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal
• Mr. Christian Savard, General Director of the organization called Vivre en ville
• Ms. Marie-Justine Snider, Art Curator at la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

Part of the advisory committee’s responsibilities include commenting on varied subjects such as station, engineering structure and parking facility design, how these elements integrate into the urban setting and landscape, as well as the materials, quality of the natural and artificial lighting, ambiance (visual, acoustic and tactile), indoor and outdoor furnishings, and landscaping.

“The arrival of a new public transit network like the REM is an opportunity to create new living environments through innovative integration and efficient facilities. With support from our partners and the communities, our goal is to ensure that the REM is harmoniously anchored in the urban setting,” specified Macky Tall, President and Chief Executive Officer of CDPQ Infra.

“Urban integration of the REM into our neighbourhoods is critical to ensure this huge project is a success in terms of sustainable mobility. The challenges of seamlessly integrating the REM into the urban environment are considerable, particularly in the case of the McGill station, which is located in the heart of our signature project to revitalize the downtown core. The creation of the advisory committee reflects the desire of all parties to ensure that this integration is a success. By seamlessly inserting itself into the daily life of local residents, the REM will become a part of it,” stated Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal.

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About REM

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is a new, 67-km integrated public transit network that will feature 26 stations and link downtown Montreal, universities, the South Shore, West Island, North Shore and Montréal Trudeau airport through a fully automated, electric light rail system. Offering high-frequency service, the REM will be in service seven days per week, 20 hours per day, and will be connected to three main Montréal metro lines.