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Old Posted Oct 8, 2017, 5:47 PM
elly63 elly63 is offline
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Montreal's Olympic Stadium is a site with heritage value: study
It's not just an eyesore with a broken roof or a reminder of the Expos' demise; It's architecture.
Presse Canadienne Montreal Gazette September 30, 2017

Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is a site with heritage value according to a study commissioned by Quebec’s Régie des installations olympiques (RIO).

The study concludes that the Olympic Park, which is home to the stadium, is worthy of such designation due to its historical, architectural, urban and symbolic value.

“This study serves as a framework for our decisions regarding the maintenance of these sites,” RIO president Michel Labrecque said. “It’s a guide that will help us and our successors in taking short, medium and long-term actions to maintain the spirit of the site.”

While Montrealers retain a certain ambivalence towards the Olympic Stadium, it has nevertheless become the city’s signature according the 100-plus page study.

“The Olympic Park — especially the Stadium and its tower that dominate the east of the island with their monumental presence — has become a tourist attraction and a symbol of Montreal despite the controversies from its construction, which propagated beyond our borders,” the study says. It was directed by France Vanlaethe, an emeritus professor at UQAM’s school of design and the president of the architecture organization Docomomo Quebec.

The site is also of historical value, the study argues, because it has been the stage for a number of major sporting events. In addition to the 1976 Olympics, it was notably home to the Expos between 1977 and 2004. Next week, it’ll host 500 gymnasts from 80 countries for the World Gymnastic Championships.

The study also highlights the Olympic Stadium’s architectural value, most notably the nature of the construction techniques used to create its unique shape out of concrete, which were revolutionary at the time.

To encourage public awareness of the site’s heritage value, eight displays have been installed on the Olympic Park’s site. They represent the main points of the study, enhancing the itineraries already offered to tourists. More than 3,000,000 people visit the site every year.

On the occasion of the study’s release, Labrecque said that the process of replacing the Olympic Stadium’s roof is “following its course” and that the relevant minister, Julie Boulet, is aware of all the details. A decision on that matter is expected this fall. Some sources indicate that the option of a flexible, non-retractable fabric roof is preferred.
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