The Forgotten Quarry by Laurence Leroux-Lapierre

THE FORGOT TEN QUARRY

LAURENCE LEROUX-LAPIERRE 2014-2015

THE FORGOT TEN QUARRY

LAURENCE LEROUX-LAPIERRE 2 0 1 4 -2 0 1 5

THE FORGOTTEN QUARRY

2014-2015 McGill University, School of Architecture Master of Architecture (Professional) Directed Studio Research Primary Advisor: David Theodore Secondary Advison: Ipek Tureli

THANKS

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to thank my advisors, David Theodore and Ipek Tureli, for their good advices and their support during this entire year. A special thanks... to Carly and Andrea for their help, to Maxime for his exceptional computer skills and his generosity. and to the employees of the City of Montreal for the guided tours of the quarry.

C O NT E NT

10 RESEARCH QUESTION 12 LOCATION 19

PROJECT

HISTORICAL CONTEXT 50 MAPS 62 QUARRYING

NOW 72 SEPT. 2014 88 MARCH 2015 108 SNOW 114 CONTEXT 126 PEOPLE

SPECULATIONS 144 150 162 166

AT TEMPT AT TEMPT AT TEMPT AT TEMPT

#1 #2 #3 #4

The project started from a site, the Francon quarry, known today as the Saint-Michel quarry, located in the northern part of the island of Montreal. It is a hole in the ground approximately 1,8 km long, by 800 meters wide and 75 meters deep covering almost 20% of Saint-Michel district. Limestone was extracted from the quarry for almost 60 years, beginning modestly before the Second World War until the 1980s. Many of these stones are scattered in the city, some were even used to build Expo ’67. The activities on the site during those years brought prosperity to the neighborhood that led to its rapid expansion. Today, the site is closed. It is used by the city of Montreal as the biggest snow dump. Its previous dynamism is only a vague souvenir. It is seen as a physical barrier, an obstacle, a scar in the urban fabric.

Socio-Economical  Context. The quarry is located in the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, in the northern part of Saint-Michel, one of the most impoverished neighborhoods of the city. Its population includes many immigrants coming from different countries. The average income of an individual is lower than the city’s average. The level of unemployment is higher than anywhere else in Montreal. A very low percentage of the population has a post-secondary degree. Over 30% of inhabitants work in the secondary sector, more precisely in the fabrication. Currently, in Montreal, the jobs in the fabrication sector are in large part located in Ville Saint-Laurent. In the past, businesses provided housing for their workers close to their workplace, but today they choose their location according to market. In the case of Saint-Michel, many workers have to get to Ville Saint-Laurent every day of the week. Another issue is that there’s no adequate public transportation system available for them because the public transport is primarily directed towards the population working or studying in the central areas of the city. Even if the population of Saint-Michel is of more modest means, the inhabitants tend to own a car in the same proportion as in the rest of the city, despite the fact that it constitutes a larger expense for them.

Physical Environment. Due to the presence of the quarry as a major physical obstacle, along with the elevated metropolitain highway 40, the CP railway and the Miron quarry, SaintMichel is not only isolated from the rest of the city but the various areas within it are isolated from each other. Because of these barriers, commuting inside the neighborhood is difficult. Since the quarry closed in the 1980s, the nature is slowly taking over the site. Year after year, new species appear on the rocky surfaces. The 75 meter depth of the quarry also contributes to its disconnection from the neighborhood. Today, it looks like a crater of greenery in the middle of the city.

How could the re-purposing of the quarry transform an entire neighborhood? Could the quarry become a catalyst for the development of the neighborhood again? How could the Francon quarry, which provided the stones for the growth of the city in the past, contribute positively to its neighborhood? How could an architectural project take advantage of the qualities of an exceptional manmade landscape? It is a project that talks about a manmade landscape generated by the construction of a city and tries to conciliate what is left with the future of the area.

MONTREAL - QUEBEC - CANADA Population of the metropolitain area 3,824,221 Population of the island 1,886,481 Population of the city 1,649,519 Area of the island Area of the city

483 km2 364 km2

Saint-Michel Quarry Area 1,2 km2

Villeray - Saint-Michel - Parc Extension Population of the borough 142,000 Area 16,5 km2

14 Sauvé

I LW CN RA

ET RO PO LI TA AU TO RO UT E M

IN E 40

Crémazie

Jarry

fabre De Castelnau

Jean-talon

MIRON QUARRY

FRANCON QUARRY

saint-michel iberville

75 METERS 180 RS ETE 0M

400 METERS

PROJECT

P R O J E CT

COMMUNITY

CITY

B E YO N D

The Francon Quarry is a large hole in the ground 1,8 km long, by 800 meters wide and 75 meters deep. Grey limestone was extracted from the site between about 1930 and the 1980, slowly creating an immense crater in the neighbourhood of Saint-Michel. In 1986, the City of Montreal bought the site and turned it into a snow dump. Today, this green oasis lies hidden in the dense urban fabric.. Unfortunately, the site is inaccessible, and therefore almost invisible. High fences and dense vegetation on the edges hinder even the smallest sight. The Quarry is reduced to an obstacle, one more for this area already circumscribed by the CN railway, the Metropolitain highway, the Miron Quarry and the district of Saint-Léonard. The project aims to raise awareness of the Francon Quarry, reintegrating it into the social imaginary of the people living in the area. The quarry is a major asset for Saint-Michel, not detraction. It is crucial that the inhabitants get a sense of the importance of the site and its sublime beauty in order to reflect on it and decide its eventual outcome. This architectural proposition for the Francon quarry exists only because this very particular site exists. Architecture is used as a tool to reveal this incredible place in the city. The program includes a pedestrian and cyclist bridge crossing from east to west, the addition of a

metro station on the blue line, a multipurposed venue for events and many belvederes providing surprising and immersive views of the Quarry. The project generates networks at different scales, both local and regional – even beyond by becoming a major attraction ¬– therefore rendering Saint-Michel an attractive place. The project is a minimal intervention seeking maximum effect, relative to the size of the site.

LEVEL +40 FROM THE PARK ON THE EAST SIDE

LEVEL +40 MAIN ENTRANCE

LEVEL +40 VIEW OF THE QUARRY FROM THE CAFÉ

LEVEL + 36 ON THE BRIDGE AT NIGHT

LEVEL +25 METRO ACCESS

LEVEL +25 VIEW OF THE QUARRY FROM THE EXIT OF THE METRO

LEVEL +10 VIEW OF THE QUARRY FROM THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM

LEVEL -35 ADVENTURE IN THE QUARRY

SECTION OF THE SITE

LEVEL + 40 LOBBY AND CAFÉ

LEVEL + 25 METRO

LEVEL + 10 EVENT SPACE

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC VIEW OF A SECTION OF THE BRIDGE

SECTION

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

1642

French colonists set up a mission called Ville-Marie

1699

Creation of côte Saint-Michel, now Jarry Street Creation of montée Saint-Michel, now Saint-Michel boulevard

1900

Saint-Michel becomes a village Saint-Michel becomes a city

WW I

Installation of an electric tramway Francon quarry opens under the name Dupré Quarries

Great depression

Miron quarry opens

WW II 6000

1950

Completion of the Metropolitain boulevard 68 000

Expo ‘67 Annexion of Saint-Michel to the city of Montreal

The city of Montreal buys Francon quarry

recession

9/11

55 665

The city of Montreal buys Miron quarry

2000

1 650 000

November 6, 1912

January 23, 1960

The village of Saint-Michel-de-Laval is officially founded.

On this day was inaugurated the first section of the Metropolitain boulevard, between Pie-XI and the Laurentides highway. The city of Saint-Michel was divided in two by this major urban intervention, creating a major rupture in the urban fabric.

December 16, 1912 The first mayor, ZĂŠphirin Pesant, a farmer, is elected. Everything was to be done, from paving the streets to installing aqueducts and sewers. It was a big challenge for the new administration.

1960s The city had financial difficulties due to mismanagement by the administration.

1925 The development of the city starts to accelerate with the installation of the tramway and the subdivision of the large agricultural lots into smaller urban pieces of land by promotors.

Post WWII The urbanization of the city of SaintMichel really happened after the Second World War. The population started to grow exponentially. In terms of immigration, many people of Italian and Portuguese origin chose SaintMichel as their home. The economic prosperity of the area brought by the two quarries, Francon and Miron, attracted many workers.

1968 The city of Saint-Michel becomes part of the city of Montreal.

MAPS

1922

1931

1948

1964

1978

Q UA R RY I N G

1970

27 OCTOBRE 1972

ARCHIVES DE LA VILLE DE MONTREAL

27 OCTOBRE 1972

ARCHIVES DE LA VILLE DE MONTREAL

“I WAS EXCITED BY THE STRIKING PATINAS ON THE WALLS OF THE ABANDONED QUARRIES. THE SURFACE OF THE ROCK-FACE WOULD SIMULTANEOUSLY REVEAL THE PROCESS OF ITS OWN CREATION, AS WELL AS DISPLAY THE TECHNIQUES OF THE QUARRYMEN. I LIKENED THE TENACIOUS TREES AND POOLS OF WATER TO NATURE'S SENTINELS AWAITING THE EVENTUAL RETREAT OF MAN AND MACHINE - TO BEGIN THE SLOW PROCESS OF RECLAMATION.” QUARRIES ARTIST’S STATEMENT

EDWARD BURTYNSKY

ROCK OF AGES #1 BARRE, VERMONT. 1991

EDWARD BURTYNSKY

NOW

The Francon quarry brought prosperity to the borough of Saint-Michel during over 50 years before it closed in the middle of the 1980s. What is the situation now? Who lives there? What are the activities on the site? Today, the quarry is used by the city of Montreal to dump snow during the winter. When thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big snow storm, hundreds of large trucks line up to dump their loading from one of the docks. All the docks are located on the south side in order for the snow to melt faster. Moreover, an artificial lake was created at the bottom to accelerate the melting process. Despite all those measures, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snow all year round in the old quarry, like glaciers that never completely melt. In addition to the snow dumping activities, the site is used to store pipes, picnic tables and construction materials. The police officers and the firefighters also train in some areas of the site.The physical character of the site also changed a lot in the last 35 years. It went from a mineral landscape to a green and wild environment. The rock cliffs, the vegetation and the scale of the site confer a sublime character to the old quarry. This section reveals the current state of the site, in relation to the surroundings, the population and the city of Montreal.

S E P T. 2 0 1 4

“SUBNATURES ARE THOSE FORMS OF NATURE DEEMED PRIMITIVE (MUD AND DANKNESS), FILTHY (SMOKE, DUST, AND EXHAUST), FEARSOME (GAS OR DEBRIS), OR UNCONTROLLABLE (WEEDS, INSECTS, AND PIGEONS).” “SUBNATURES ENABLE US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR ENVIRONMENT AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL PROCESSES, AS SOMETHING TIED TO SOCIAL HISTORY, AS MUCH AS NATURAL HISTORY.”

SUBNATURE - INTRODUCTION

DAVID GISSEN

MARCH 2015

100

102

104

sub â&#x20AC;˘ lime adjective 1

a : lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner b: of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth c: ending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality (as of beauty, nobility, or grandeur) or transcendent excellence

a: archaic : high in place b: obsolete : lofty of mien : haughty c: capitalized : supreme d: complete, utter

verb 1

to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form

(French sublimer, from Latin sublimare) a: to elevate or exalt especially in dignity or honor (2) : to render finer (as in purity or excellence) b: to convert (something inferior) into something of higher worth

DER WANDERER ÜBER DEM NEBELMEER

CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH

106

“THE ROLE OF HUMANS IN THE ENVIRONMENT IS TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT FUNCTIONS, AND TO PROMOTE ITS CONTINUED FUNCTIONING. SINCE MAN IS JUST ONE SPECIES AMONG THE GREAT DIVERSITY OF SPECIES IN NATURE, HE CANNOT HOPE TO INTERVENE AND TO EXPLOIT THIS DIVERSITY WITHOUT JEOPARDISING THE MECHANISMS OF INTERACTION AMONG THE MANY FORMS OF LIFE ON THE PLANET.” WORKING WITH (AND NEVER AGAINST) NATURE

GILLES CLÉMENT

acer rubrum

acer negundo

populus deltoide

rhus typhina

ulmus americana

fraxinus americana

amelanchier laevis

salix bebbiana

SOME OF THE TREE SPECIES FOUND ON SITE

108

SNOW

110

THE FRANCON QUARRY IS THE LARGEST SNOW DUMP OF THE CITY. 40% OF THE SNOW IS DUMPED THERE EVERY WINTER. OVER 5 000 000 M3

112

300 000 TRUCKS 12 000 0000 M3 OF SNOW

225 CENTIMETERS 5-8 SNOWSTORMS

4 100 KM OF SIDEWALKS 6 500 KM OF STREETS

3000 EMPLOYEES

140 000 TONNES OF SALT

155M$ 3% OF THE CITY BUDGET

114

CONTEXT

116

GROCERY STORES LOCATED IN THE AREA

118

LE METRO EST À MONTRÉAL CE QUE LES BOULEVARDS SONT À PARIS ET LES CANAUX À VENISE.

JEAN-CLAUDE GERMAIN HISTORIEN

METRO MAP

STM

120

MAIN THEATERS AND VENUES IN MONTREAL

122

WORKPLACE

124

Mount Royal

Saint-Michel Quarry

INVERTED MOUNT ROYAL

Francon Quarry

CESM

Laurier park

Lafontaine park

Jeanne Mance park

Jarry park

Maisonneuve park

COMPARISON TO OTHER PARKS

126

PEOPLE

128

+ 65

<5 5-20

45-60 20-45

MONTREAL

+ 65

<5 5-20

45-60

20-45

SAINT-MICHEL

AGE OF THE POPULATION

45,6% of the population of Saint-Michel would prefer to live elsewhere in Montreal if they had the choice.

130

Almost 50% of the population is immigrant, as opposed to 30% in the city of Montreal.

IMMIGRANT POPULATION

Europe

Africa

Central America

South America

Asia

Caribbean

IMMIGRANT POPULATION

132

MONTREAL 3 628 inhabitants /km2

SAINT-MICHEL 8 625 inhabitants /km2

SAINT-MICHEL SUD 9 000 inhabitants /km2

SAINT-MICHEL EAST 14 311 inhabitants /km2

SAINT-MICHEL WEST 5 000 inhabitants /km2

DENSITY

33,5% of all transportation is by metro or bus

TRANSPORTATION

134

None

High schoool

Technical

CEGEP

University

SAINT-MICHEL

EDUCATION

MONTREAL

$ 26 793

MONTREAL

$ 20 324

SAINT-MICHEL SUD

$ 17 975

SAINT-MICHEL EAST

$ 18 864

SAINT-MICHEL WEST

AVERAGE INCOME

136

MONTREAL

SAINT-MICHEL

SIZE OF THE FAMILIES

Multiple

Other French

English

MONTREAL

Multiple

Other French

English

SAINT-MICHEL

FIRST LANGUAGE

138

“WE BELIEVE THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PHYSICAL FORM IN DEFINING THE CITY. [...] THE CITY IS, ABOVE ALL, A SOCIAL PRODUCT, CREATED OUT OF THE DEMANDS OF EVERYDAY USE AND THE SOCIAL STRUGGLES OF URBAN INHABITANTS. DESIGN WITHIN EVERYDAY SPACE MUST START WITH AN UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE LIFE THAT TAKES PLACE THERE.”

EVERYDAY URBANISM

MARGARET CRAWFORD

140

S P E C U L AT I O N S

The first semester was devoted to thinking about the entire site: what it could become in the future, what kind of program could go in there, what kind of infrastructures would be desirable... In december, the proposal was to keep the snow dumping on the site due to its amplitude and its importance for the city and to preserve most of the site as it is. The proposal also included the creation of new infrastructures: a linear park around the quarry accessible to cyclists and pedestrians all year round, a cultural center with an outdoor gathering space, a community garden and many artist studios. The unprogrammed parts were going to be preserved and turned into a park. After a few months of reflexion, the conclusion was that it was premature to try to intervene on the entire site. Instead, the proposition was to only introduce a bridge crossing from east to west the quarry. The question then became what kind of bridge should span over an old quarry located in Saint-Michel. This section presents the attempts to build on the site of the Francon quarry in chronological order,

144

AT T E M P T # 1

SIZE

PROGRAM

Two metro stations A linear park around and a park at a lower level Many bridges

REFERENCES

Pont Jean-Jacques Bosc, Bordeaux. OMA Bridge Park, Washington DC. OMA villes-ponts. Yona Friedman New Babylon. Constant Nieuwenhuys Tudela Restoration. EMF architects

COMMENTS

The project doesn’t give a sense of the people living around the quarry What’s going on down there?! Protection of the wilderness Avoiding the problem by circulating around

146

METRO STATION COLLAGE

OTHER COLLAGES

148

TOP: METRO STATION BOT TOM: BRIDGES

TOP: PARK AS A DESTINATION BOT TOM: LINEAR PARK

150

AT T E M P T # 2

SIZE

PROGRAM

A linear park around An inhabited bridge: circulation for car, pedestrians and cyclists, leisure facilities, housing, commercial spaces A cultural center Community gardens and artist studios

REFERENCES

COMMENTS

The site is violent and the project should reflect this character or take advantage of it The snow dump has a lot of potential! It could be a cooling system for the area

152

154

“PATH-BUILDING, ONE COULD SAY, IS SPECIFICALLY HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT; THE ANIMAL TOO CONTINUOUSLY OVERCOMES A SEPARATION AND OFTEN IN THE CLEVEREST AND MOST INGENIOUS WAYS, BUT ITS BEGINNING AND END REMAIN UNCONNECTED, IT DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THE MIRACLE OF THE ROAD: FREEZING MOVEMENT INTO A SOLID STRUCTURE THAT COMMENCES FROM IT AND IN WHICH IT TERMINATES.”

BRIDGE AND DOOR

GEORG SIMMEL

COMMERCIAL

CARS

LEISURE

HOUSING

AXONOMETRIC OF THE BRIDGE

156

ENTRANCE

CULTURAL CENTER

158

SNOW DUMP

BRIDGE

160

BELVÉDÈRE

PLAYGROUND

162

AT T E M P T # 3

SIZE

PROGRAM

Metro station, Multi-purpose venue, Grocery store, Retail, Housing - 35% affordable 65% market Vehicular transportation, Public transit and Promenade for bikes and pedestrians Park components

REFERENCES

ponte Vecchio. Florence, Italy (1345) Krämerbrücke. Erfurt, Germany (1472) Skyscaper Bridge. New York, USA by Ramond Hood

COMMENTS

Very massive project. It lacks some sensitivity for such a beautiful site. Maybe the bridge doesn’t have to be so heavily programmed. There is no connection with the existing context.

164

DIAGRAMS

SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS

166

AT T E M P T # 4

SIZE

PROGRAM

Multi-purpose venue Vehicular transportation, Public transit and Promenade for bikes and pedestrians Complementary parks

REFERENCES

COMMENTS

Maybe an amphitheater of this size is not appropriate. Maybe it is not a â&#x20AC;&#x153;salle de spectacleâ&#x20AC;? but a room for anything and everything. And the structure?

168

MODEL MAKING 1:3000

MODEL MAKING 1:500

170

MODEL ON SITE

172

TOP: SITE PLAN BOT TOM: SITE SECTION

vertical circulation

bridges

parking

administration amphitheater

public spaces

technical spaces

DIAGRAMS

174

PLAN ACCESS TO THE PARKING FROM THE BRIDGE

PLANS OF THE AMPHITHEATER

176

9 meters

6 meters

3 meters

-6 meters

-15 meters

-20 meters

- 23 meters

-30 meters

SECTION

ELEVATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chase, John, Margaret Crawford, and John Kaliski. 2008. Everyday urbanism. New York: Monacelli Press. Clément, Gilles, Philippe Rahm, and Giovanna Borasi. 2006. Gilles Clément Philippe Rahm: environ(ne)ment : manières d’agir pour demain. Milano: Skira. Enright, Robert. 2010. Body heat: the story of the Woodward’s redevelopment. [Vancouver]: Blueimprint. Gissen, David. 2009. Subnature: architecture’s other environments : atmospheres, matter, life. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. Koolhaas, Rem, Bruce Mau, Jennifer Sigler, and Hans Werlemann. 1995. Small, medium, large, extra-large. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers. Picon, Antoine. 2000. “Anxious Landscapes: From the Ruin to Rust”. Grey Room. 1 (1): 64-83. Simmel, Georg. 1994. “Bridge and Door”. Theory, Culture & Society. 11 (1): 5. Saint-Laurent, Diane, and Gilles Sénécal. 2000. Les espaces dégradés: contraintes et conquêtes. Sainte-Foy: Presses de l’Université du Québec.