Place Ville Marie: Montreal's Shining Landmark

Ebook

  • Quebec publishers

This book traces the fascinating history of what Montrealers still call the city’s “grande dame”. From the complex’s earliest beginnings with developer William Zeckendorf, through its later transformations, the reader will discover in these pages a broad swath of our architectural heritage, replete with lavish illustrations.

Authored by a team of seasoned writers to coincide with the celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the complex, this book is intended for both architecture enthusiasts, the people who shaped this showplace of corporate life, and anyone who is simply curious to know more about the circumstances surrounding the creation of this skyscraper that has been, is still today, and will continue to be, the pride of Montrealers.

Table of contents

Table of contents
COVER 1
CATALOGUING 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS 7
MODERN FROM THE OUTSET 11
BIOGRAPHY 12
INTRODUCTION 15
CHAPTER 1-A CITY ON THE MOVE 21
A BOOMING CITY (1891–1945) 24
POST-WAR MONTREA L 34
CHAPTER 2-A MAJOR URBAN PROJET ON HOLD 55
A NEW RA ILWAY STAT ION FOR CA NADA’S METR OPOLIS 59
POST-WAR REVIVAL 68
CHAPTER 3-THE PLACE VILLE MARIE PROJET 83
THE DESIGNER S OF PLACE VILLE MAR IE 86
PLACE VILLE MARIE: EARLY PROPOSALS 93
THE MASTER PLAN 97
THE PITFALLS OF THE BUILDING PR OJECT 104
CHAPTER 4-THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLACE VILLE MARIE 113
THE PLACE VILLE MARIE ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT 116
MILESTONES AND HIGHLIGHT S OF THE CONSTR UCT ION PROJECT 123
THE REACTION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL PRESS 137
MAKING HEADLINES IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS 138
UNDERTAKING OF THE CENTURY, OR A COLD MONSTER? 139
CHAPTER 5-A CITY WITHIN THE CITY 149
AN OPENING DRIVEN BY PASSION 152
LIFE AT PLACE VILLE MARIE 162
CHAPTER 6-A PRECIOUS JEWEL TO CHERISH 179
PLACE VILLE MARIE, A FLAGSHIP REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT 182
LEASE MANAGEMENT, A COLOSSAL TASKIN A GIGANTIC COMPLEX 187
KEEP ING THE "GRANDE DAME" UP-TO-DATE 195
CONCLUSION 217
BIBLIOGRAPHY / ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS / INTERVIEWS 225
PRINT AND BROADCAST SOURCES 226
STUDIES 229
INDEX 233
PHOTOS CREDITS / INTRODUCTION / CHAPTER 1 235
CHAPTER 2 236
CHAPTER 3 237
CHAPTER 4 238
CHAPTER 5 / CHAPTER 6 239
CONCLUSION / BIBLIOGRAPHY 240
RESUME 242