Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Place Pasteur-UQAM sector is an important institutional hub of Montreal’s central Ville-Marie Borough. As part of the requalification of the district, the City of Montreal identified four outdoor areas accessible to the public and the two streets surrounding them.
Place Pasteur, the Courtyard of the Saint-Jacques Bell Tower, the South Transept Garden and the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Forecourt have been redesigned to form a unified and coherent whole.
Realized jointly by the City of Montreal and UQAM, this ambitious public space project revitalizes the heart of the Latin Quarter, reaffirming its vocation and identity and improving its comfort and safety. In addition to the four refurbished public spaces, the portion of St-Denis Street between De Maisonneuve and Ste-Catherine, and Ste-Catherine Street between Berri Street and St-Denis Street were excavated to replace underground public services (water, sewers, electrical and telecommunications infrastructure).
In order to enhance the dynamism and accessibility of outdoor spaces, the project highlights culture, knowledge and green amenities, while providing visual unity. The following spaces have been refurbished:
Place Pasteur and the Courtyard of the St. Jacques Bell Tower: Facing each other across St.-Denis Street, these two spaces forge links between the Athanase-David Pavilion, the Judith-Jasmin Building and the Saint-Jacques Bell Tower. Place Pasteur has long been considered as the forecourt of the historic Saint-Jacques Church. The project maintains and strengthens this spatial continuum.
South Transept Garden: Located on the north side of Ste-Catherine Street, this green space invites pedestrian traffic to interact with the dramatic south façade of the historic St. Jacques Church.
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Forecourt: Located on the south side of Ste. Catherine Street, this mineral surface links the historic Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Chapel and the Hubert-Aquin Pavilion to the pedestrian traffic of the street.
Urban Links: The sidewalks St-Denis and Ste-Catherine Streets weave together the four refurbished public spaces and St-Denis becomes a shared street.
