OLD MONTREAL
Something which I have always wanted to do is to explore the whole of montreal island. I started with Old Montreal since the development of Montreal did began from here. The other reason for my walking around in Montreal obviously had to do with my thesis. I still remember how my advisor was telling me during my final crit that I need to have a good understanding of my site and its political context if my thesis subject was on public spaces.
For the first time in Montreal, I never felt any more like a tourist than this day when I was holding on to my camera snapping pictures while reading about the places of interest with a guide book on the other hand. Since it is pretty much a tourist site, I had no problem passing off as a tourist. I did not mind the occasional "Arigato" or " 你好!" as it made me feel like I was really holidaying in another place.
There were a couple of places that I got to discover about their history and their significance in Montreal at one point in time. Then I began to think that maybe I should also walk around Singapore when I return. There are just places that we properly know it by heart since we arrive but somehow never really get to learnt about its history since we were never a tourist in the place and we never really have to do so. 
Pierre-du-Calvet House. I was enticed by the S shaped bars which I later realised were anchors for the floor beams inside the house.
Glimpse of the Bonsecour Market ahead
Central Fire Station/Centre d'histoire de Montreal. I did not even know about this building before.
Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of Archaelogy and History. I got the chance to visit this museum during my first year when we had to design an interpretation centre. It was an interesting building though I remembered that I enjoyed walking through the building much more than the exhibits itself. I was also pretty amazed by the underground pass which allows you to exit at the other side of the street.
Place d'Youville
Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Chapel. Had I not read about it, I will probably not have bothered to find out about its name.
Rasco Hotel. This hotel was, I learnt, quite a venerable hotel in its beginnings.It was once as described " the largest and most splendid hotel ever errected in British North America". Obviously, the current state has been stipped from its former grandeour. 
Customs House
The Grain Elevator NO. 5. The only silo remaining other than the ruins of grain elevator NO. 2 further east along Old POrt to remind us of the old port's industrial past.
The Habitat by Moshie Safdie.Designed as his thesis project, it was also part of Expo '67.
posted by shuugi @ 4:28 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home