IMHO Place Ville Marie still holds the title of Montreal’s greatest skyscraper. (and one of the better urban renewal projects in the history of urban renewal projects!)
The view from the plaza (at the big statue) up mcgill college is one of the cities best views. (more or less where this pic was taken?)
And there are views to be had from the top-accessible by the public, a rare thing in Montreal.
In a related note, I once came in 6th place in a stair run up PVM, it remains the hardest thing I have ever done. Wish they still held it.
I would throw out 1250 René-Lévesque (IBM-Marathon) as possibly having a more appealing form, but in terms of brilliantly using a neglected space (the rail pit), PVM remains an inspiration for Montreal.
Hi,
Great photo. I love PVM, from top to bottom, and have always felt the searching beacon very reassuring.
Geralyne
Don’t people think its too tall? If you stand on the south side of the building, you can’t see the mountain.
Hi there,
I live in London, UK but I lived in Montreal from 1962 to 1963 and I went there for a vacation during 1980. I returned to London, uk because I did not like all that snow, and cold weather.
When I lived in Montreal I found the french canadians so friendly, and I was happy to be with them. I just loved place ville marie, and it is one of my fondest memories of Montreal. Maybe in the year 2009 I can visit those great places in Montreal again, especially mont royal where I spent many happy times with friends. I love all french canadian people that were so kind to me during my stay in Montreal, and thanks.
Regards,
Ron.
Its interesting that a previous post mentions that PVM is blocking the view. ( It IS true! )
I suppose one must accept a cluster of very tall buildings centralized in the real downtown core, it usually being the home of economic commerce.
However, one constantly has to be on the lookout for the eco-developer who thinks tall is friendly, who then, with the collusion of City Hall, erects vertical slums with abandon all over the compass which block ‘the view’ everywhere.
Witness in Toronto how the whole horizon towards Lake Ontario has been eclipsed by highrises beyond the Gardner Expressway, the latter an eyesore in itself.
So is the Metropolitan in that end of town by Youville Shops.
I was there for the ‘opening’ of PVM and marvelled at the view from the top.
I worked at the Chemcel building during it’s construction directly opposite across then-Dorchester, above Central Station, and at lunch we would go up on the roof, as it was still open to contractors, and gaze South across the St Lawrence to the far away Adirondacks.
The twin mountains at Beloeil were almost right there. Part of the Monteregian Hills.
However, the view to the North from the Chemcel Building was the vertical windowed slab of PVM, a grim view on a lowering fall day in the rain.
The tall buildings cause violent wind currents, and one of the COLDEST places to wait for a MTC Autobus, before the Metro, was waiting for the westbound 150 Dorchester to Atwater in front of PVM after arriving on a nice warm train.
A forest of tall buildings casts a forest of long shadows, like huge sundials, which affect all those ‘that were there first’ for great distances.
When I was in Toronto in early 2008, they had areas of downtown closed off account ice peeling off the CN Tower.
Somewhat like concrete from ageing infrastructure??
Despite their now-iconic status, the WTC Towers were very intrusive to the eye.
6 comments
IMHO Place Ville Marie still holds the title of Montreal’s greatest skyscraper. (and one of the better urban renewal projects in the history of urban renewal projects!)
The view from the plaza (at the big statue) up mcgill college is one of the cities best views. (more or less where this pic was taken?)
And there are views to be had from the top-accessible by the public, a rare thing in Montreal.
In a related note, I once came in 6th place in a stair run up PVM, it remains the hardest thing I have ever done. Wish they still held it.
I would throw out 1250 René-Lévesque (IBM-Marathon) as possibly having a more appealing form, but in terms of brilliantly using a neglected space (the rail pit), PVM remains an inspiration for Montreal.
Hi,
Great photo. I love PVM, from top to bottom, and have always felt the searching beacon very reassuring.
Geralyne
Don’t people think its too tall? If you stand on the south side of the building, you can’t see the mountain.
Hi there,
I live in London, UK but I lived in Montreal from 1962 to 1963 and I went there for a vacation during 1980. I returned to London, uk because I did not like all that snow, and cold weather.
When I lived in Montreal I found the french canadians so friendly, and I was happy to be with them. I just loved place ville marie, and it is one of my fondest memories of Montreal. Maybe in the year 2009 I can visit those great places in Montreal again, especially mont royal where I spent many happy times with friends. I love all french canadian people that were so kind to me during my stay in Montreal, and thanks.
Regards,
Ron.
Its interesting that a previous post mentions that PVM is blocking the view. ( It IS true! )
I suppose one must accept a cluster of very tall buildings centralized in the real downtown core, it usually being the home of economic commerce.
However, one constantly has to be on the lookout for the eco-developer who thinks tall is friendly, who then, with the collusion of City Hall, erects vertical slums with abandon all over the compass which block ‘the view’ everywhere.
Witness in Toronto how the whole horizon towards Lake Ontario has been eclipsed by highrises beyond the Gardner Expressway, the latter an eyesore in itself.
So is the Metropolitan in that end of town by Youville Shops.
I was there for the ‘opening’ of PVM and marvelled at the view from the top.
I worked at the Chemcel building during it’s construction directly opposite across then-Dorchester, above Central Station, and at lunch we would go up on the roof, as it was still open to contractors, and gaze South across the St Lawrence to the far away Adirondacks.
The twin mountains at Beloeil were almost right there. Part of the Monteregian Hills.
However, the view to the North from the Chemcel Building was the vertical windowed slab of PVM, a grim view on a lowering fall day in the rain.
The tall buildings cause violent wind currents, and one of the COLDEST places to wait for a MTC Autobus, before the Metro, was waiting for the westbound 150 Dorchester to Atwater in front of PVM after arriving on a nice warm train.
A forest of tall buildings casts a forest of long shadows, like huge sundials, which affect all those ‘that were there first’ for great distances.
When I was in Toronto in early 2008, they had areas of downtown closed off account ice peeling off the CN Tower.
Somewhat like concrete from ageing infrastructure??
Despite their now-iconic status, the WTC Towers were very intrusive to the eye.