weather poetry la Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, Quebec
landscape | jardins by emmanuelle viera and réal lestage
promenade metaphor urbanism river edges materiality
by the site. These thematic gardens give structure, coherence and rhythm to the linearity of a grey cycle track and a white concrete pedestrian path. This project revitalises an important section of the St. Lawrence River’s borders and brings both an equilibrium and economic benefit to the city. The project shifts Champlain Boulevard from a highway to a landscaped, permeable urban boulevard, and contributes to the restoration of a rich, diverse, albeit fragile, coastal eco-system. The re-established plantings frame views and trajectories, calibrating space and scale. It also brings, importantly, a contemporary face to la Ville de Québec. * La promenade Samuel-De Champlain is by the consortium of Daoust Lestage, Williams Asselin Ackaoui and Option Aménagement for the Commission de la Capitale nationale du Québec. The project was completed in June 2008. clockwise from top left: Quai-des-Flots, Quai-des-Brumes, Quai-des-Vents, Quai-des- Hommes, and again, Quai-des-Flots.
La Promenade Samuel-De Champlain was commissioned to celebrate the 400th anniversay of Quebec City in 2008. Four gardens are part of an extended project of waterfront restoration that reactivates Quebec City’s access to the St. Lawrence River and revitalises the coastal landscape. Four imaginary quays at the edge of the river bring a sequence of experiences and atmospheres, from the wide expanse of water — the macro-scale of this area, to the tactile sensory experiences at the scale of grasses and rain. The quays integrate the Champlain Boulevard that crosses the site, uniting the two sections of the linear park. Each quay captures and magnifies the material and poetic qualities of the local coastal environment. The Quai-des-
Vents – wind and flocks of birds through whirling, poetic light-weight wind sculptures. The Quai-des-Hommes – the need to tame by framing views across the water. The Quai-des-Flots – grey waves and ice floe patterns, water walls, springs and the rich textures and geometries of Quebec granite. The Quai-des-Brumes veils deep cross-river views in an ever-shifting mist. The layered textures of the St. Lawrence are materialised in stone boulders, timber assemblies and corten steel thresholds, by native plants and trees, and by vapour haze, thick shade, mellow light and water reflections. Familiar materials such as rough wood and local stones consolidate the existing shoreline vegetation in a landscape-architectured language, inspired
5
weather matters: On Site review 21
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator