Landmark of Memory and Resilience Montreal, Quebec architecture images, Irish Monument Park Canada

Landmark of Memory and Resilience in Quebec

27 April 2025

Architects: Lemay

Location: Irish Monument Park, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Images by Lemay

Landmark of Memory and Resilience, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Located on a site where monuments of Montreal’s past and present meet, the Montreal Irish Monument Park project commemorates a long-overlooked chapter of the city’s history through design. Envisioned by Lemay in collaboration with the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation, this public space transforms the historic Black Rock site into a place of remembrance, gathering, and cultural reflection.

Since its discovery in 1859 during the construction of the Victoria Bridge, the Black Rock has stood as the world’s oldest Irish Famine memorial, solemnly marking the site of a mass grave of tragic proportions. Through this renewal of the site, the monument memorializing the 6,000 Irish immigrants who perished in 1847 after fleeing the Great Hunger becomes enveloped by an inclusive and immersive landscape. The new design pays homage to this historic site through architecture and landscape, preserving its solemnity while fostering contemplation, education, and communal engagement.

At its heart is a terraced agora, where the centrepiece of the Black Rock is framed by a reflective water feature that mirrors the sky and evokes the Irish immigrants’ perilous ocean crossing, while creating a link between the nearby grave and the sky. The fluidity of water and light reinforces the connection between past and present, creating a landscape that shifts with time and season. A corten steel memorial wall, carved with 6,000 Celtic crosses, extends across the site as a solemn tribute to those who perished. Chosen for its evolving patina, this weathering steel emphasizes the passage of time and allows the structure to age alongside the site. This elongated form recalls the hull of a ship, culminating in a belvedere in the shape of a ship’s prow that overlooks the Saint Lawrence River, directing the gaze toward Ireland and symbolizing the immigrants’ journey across the Atlantic.

The surrounding landscape, conceived as “fragments of Ireland,” introduces vast green spaces punctuated by natural stone markers that evoke the original fever sheds, where thousands succumbed to typhus. Carefully selected local materials, such as Quebec limestone, reinforce the connection between the site and the land, grounding the monument in its geographical and historical context. A museum pavilion completes the ensemble, providing visitors with exhibitions and programming that illuminate the profound legacy of Irish immigration and its lasting imprint on Montreal, while also celebrating the incredible humanitarian efforts of the citizens of Montreal who came together to help the starving, sick, and impoverished refugees.

Beyond commemoration, the Montreal Irish Monument Park redefines the relationship between memory and urban space, reconnecting a once-isolated site to its surroundings. Visible from the REM commuter line and Victoria Bridge, the park becomes a gateway to the city, serving as a landmark and a living heritage site. The landscape’s carefully choreographed circulation routes guide movement through the park, creating a sequence of reflective and interactive spaces. Universal accessibility is embedded into the design, ensuring that visitors of all abilities can fully experience the monument’s narrative and spatial flow.

Sustainability is central to the project’s vision. The integration of permeable surfaces and native plantings mitigates stormwater runoff, reinforcing the site’s ecological resilience. The removal of excessive paved surfaces reduces the urban heat island effect, while the introduction of biodiverse vegetation enhances the microclimate and provides a natural setting for reflection. Material choices prioritize longevity and low environmental impact, with corten steel, locally quarried stone, and sustainably sourced timber contributing to both durability and a reduced ecological footprint. The design embraces passive environmental strategies, ensuring minimal intervention while maintaining the integrity of the site’s natural and historical character.

“The Irish Monument Park of Montreal’s carefully designed space, materiality, and experience is both commemorative and revitalizing for its city,” says Marie-Eve Parent. “Working with the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation, we’ve transformed a historically significant but overlooked site into a spatial journey that bridges the past and present, in a place where every element honours memory, while fostering connection, learning, and resilience.”

Designed as part of the international Great Famine Way circuit, the Montreal Irish Monument Park strengthens a global network of memorials, reinforcing its broader historical and cultural significance. The museum pavilion is intended to serve as a hub for education and dialogue, fostering an understanding of migration, resilience, and identity. By bridging contemporary design with deep historical roots, the project creates a space that honours the past while remaining firmly embedded in the city’s evolving present.

Landmark of Memory and Resilience, Montreal, Canada – Building Information

Architecture: Lemay – https://lemay.com/

Client: Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation

Landscape architecture: Lemay

About Lemay
Lemay has been imagining new ways to create spaces that engage users and bring people together since 1957. Over 400 architects, designers, industry leaders, and change-makers work tirelessly to cultivate innovation in their own backyards and in communities around the world. Inspired and strengthened by transdisciplinary creativity, the firm has also developed its very own NET POSITIVETM approach to guide teams towards sustainable solutions that shape a better future. With the people experience at its heart, Lemay strives to design with empathy and create spaces to grow.

Renders: Lemay

Landmark of Memory and Resilience, Montreal, Canada images / information received 270425 from v2com newswire

Location: Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

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photo : Séphane Brügger