THE OLIMPIC ROOF REUSE
The Olympic Park is proud to announce the launch of an international competition to creatively reuse and add value to all materials and structural components from the Montreal Olympic Stadium roof's dismantling, set to start in summer 2024.
An Olympic ambition
Design and architecture professionals and students worldwide are invited to propose creative and innovative solutions to generate new life for the roof’s components, including the symbolic cables supporting the present dome, the inner and outer membranes, as well as the fittings that support the structure.
The competition is open to the international community and aims to gather optimal suggestions for environmental, economic, and societal improvements. The Quebec population will then be asked to vote for their favorite among the eight ideas selected by a jury of recognized experts.
This initiative is part of a broader approach to sustainable development and circular economy, to which the design of an artistic course made from roofing materials could be added. These actions will provide a new purpose for the Olympic Stadium’s roof and benefit the people of Quebec.
The proposals sought must aim at resilience and adaptation to climate change, which represents a challenge of real Olympic proportions. Consequently, proposals need to target specific outcomes that have the potential to improve residents’ living conditions upon deployment by addressing neighborhood issues.
For example, proposals intended for, but not limited to, the following are expected:
- to strengthen the social and community fabric;
- to create cool zones;
- to develop all-season socializing spaces;
- to promote soft and active mobility;
- to encourage urban agriculture;
- to establish contact with the surrounding neighborhoods;
- to foster a connection between residents and the river
Proposals that achieve a high level of social acceptability
To ensure the success of this reuse effort, certain factors must be considered. The expected proposals must demonstrate that they constitute a genuine ecological benefit, and must clearly be part of a circular economy approach through their contribution to the environment and the local community. They must be structured, have an impact in the neighborhoods surrounding the Stadium, meet the existing needs of the population, and also consider the vulnerability of the territory.
Four award categories that steer the creative challenge
A maximum of four winners in the professional category and four winners in the student category will be selected by the jury. Each professional winner will receive a prize of fifteen thousand Canadian dollars ($15,000 CAD), while each student will receive five thousand Canadian dollars ($5,000 CAD).
- Award for full reuse of materials
- Award in innovation, processes, and environmental impact
- Award for space design
- Award for product development
A People’s Choice Award mention is foreseen to promote the winning entries. The public will be invited to vote online via the roof-reuse.parcolympique.ca website for their favorite entry among the eight laureates chosen by the jury in the professional and student categories combined.
Quebec’s heritage history turns a new page
The Olympic Park’s mission to emphasize heritage and legacy aligns with the design of the Olympic Stadium. Built for the 1976 Olympic Games, it has significantly contributed to the growth of the metropolis.
A bold architectural creation of Roger Taillibert, the Olympic Park was built for the 1976 Summer Games, and as a venue for the Montréal Expos baseball club (1977-2004). Since its inauguration, it has hosted thousands of sporting, social, and cultural events, boasting more than a hundred million visitors nearly fifty years later. The Olympic Park is a site displaying indisputable heritage value, particularly in the historical, emblematic, architectural, and urban levels.
Registration
- To find out more and register: roof-reuse.parcolympique.ca
- Mandatory registration deadline: May 31, 2024 (11:59 pm. EST)
- Proposals submission deadline: June 11, 2024 (11:59 EST)
- Laureates’ announcement: Summer 2024
- People’s Choice Award announcement: Fall 2024
Highlights
- The roof’s current two membranes (outer and inner), cover an area of 42,000m2, equivalent to a little more than 26 hockey rinks.
- Cables of the current roof structure total approximately 12 kilometers, roughly representing the length of Montreal’s symbolic Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
- The roof’s framework comprises 434 steel connectors that secure cables.
- Ingenuity and relevance of the reuse, contributions to ecological transition, and social impact in the community are all part of the selection criteria.
About the Olympic park
Created on November 1, 2020, the Société de développement et de mise en valeur du Parc olympique (SDMVPO - Olympic Park), replaces and modernizes the mission of the Régie des installations olympiques (1975-2020). The SDMVPO has the dual mandate of developing, managing, operating, and promoting its facilities, as well as its Olympic heritage and legacy.
The Olympic Park manages five key assets: the Olympic Stadium, largest amphitheater in the country, the Montreal Tower, world’s highest inclined tower, the Sports Centre, Canada’s leading aquatic facility, and the spacious Esplanade with its outdoor areas, a major gathering place and event venue in the city. Additionally, the country’s largest underground parking lot is located on the site.
