Built on one of Montreal’s most beloved Canadian landmarks and urban family escapes, Mount Royal Park, the three new kiosks form a hamlet, encouraging a sense of interaction and community.
The kiosks with surface area of 45m2 each, are both a poetic and practical response to their surroundings; through their specific uses and architecture the kiosks appear to tell a story – one that has been told for countless generations.
Both components that inspired the installation, the play of light and the constant shifting of the wind, involve movement. Thus, to create a constant sense of movement, the three kiosks read like a painting, being pushed by the wind at three different speeds – expressing sensitivity to the environs and the elements.
Thanks to steel structures, each kiosk leans at a different angle, as if being pushed by the wind. The first kiosk is inclined at 10 degrees, designed for both summer and winter class field trips. With enough room for up to 30 people, the possibilities for activities are multi-fold. The second kiosk, inclined at 20 degrees, houses tools and equipment for park services, as well as a first aid station. While the third, with it’s 30 degree incline, is home to the ticket office, plus storage of recreational equipment.
Overall, the shape and openness of the buildings creates an impression of lightness, their transparency encouraging the interplay of light and shadows. The choice of materials contributes significantly to the architectural and poetic aspects of the buildings. Their simple interiors, hollowed out and open on both ends, are clad in tongue and groove wooden planks stained a neutral colour. Externally, each kiosk is covered in zinc tiles that change colour in the light, so that the exterior changes and shifts every hour of the day. And at night, their transparency evokes a warm glowing lantern effect.