MIT Libraries homeDome

Detail, cupola on variant of model "Jonquille" (1425 sq. ft.); Located in the heart of the vibrant Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal, adjacent to the Centre for Sustainable Development, Parc Hydro-Québec (0.8 acre) unfolds like a huge metal grill suspended above a naturalized ground surface, a play upon the urban tree grate. Completely permeable, the grill raised on support beams permits the creation of growing conditions comparable to that of a forest, allowing rainwater to flow naturally into the soil and protecting the ground from compaction. A composition of native plants forms the groundcover surrounded by a grid of thirty honey locust trees planted unevenly, transforming this space into a vault of freshness. Source: Claude Cormier + Associes [website]; www.claudecormier.com/en/ (accessed 5/9/2014)