Quartier des spectacles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Quartier des Spectacles
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Neighbourhood
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Place des festivals, at night.
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 Quartier des Spectacles
Location in Montreal
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| City | Montreal |
| Borough | Ville-Marie |
| Postal Code |
H2L, H2X, H2Z, H3A, H3B, H5B
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| Area codes | 514, 438 |
Quartier des Spectacles is a super cool area in Downtown Montreal. It's like a giant stage for all kinds of arts and entertainment! This district is designed to be the heart of Montreal's cultural events and festivals.
It covers almost one square kilometer. The area is bordered by City Councillors Street, Berri Street, Sherbrooke Street, and René Lévesque Boulevard. It even includes a part of Montreal known as the Latin Quarter.
The idea for this special district started in 2002. It was planned to have about 30 performance halls with nearly 28,000 seats. This includes the famous Place des Arts cultural complex. You can also find international festivals, art galleries, and places for cultural shows here. The Quartier des Spectacles creates about 8,500 jobs related to culture. These jobs range from teaching art to creating, showing, and sharing it.
Today, many of Montreal's biggest festivals happen here. These include the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Francofolies, and the Just for Laughs comedy fest. The district has cool features like concert areas, green spaces, and special lighting. There are also mist machines, bike paths, and lighted walkways.
The main public space in the Quartier is the Place des Festivals. This is a new urban square right in front of Place des Arts. It's a popular spot for outdoor events. The square has a fountain with 235 water jets that light up! There are also four light towers, two restaurants with glass walls, a grassy slope, and granite paths.
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New and Exciting Places to See
The Quartier des Spectacles has added many new and interesting buildings. These places help make the district a hub for art and culture.
Cultural Hubs and Green Buildings
- The Édifice 2-22 is a cultural center focused on contemporary art. Its ticket office was designed by a famous French architect, Paul Andreu.
- The Maison du développement durable is a very special building. It was one of the first in Canada to get a "LEED Platinum" certification. This means it's super friendly to the environment and uses energy wisely!
- The Louis Bohème is a tall, 28-story condo tower. It was also designed by a well-known architectural firm.
National Film Board of Canada Headquarters
In 2017, the National Film Board of Canada moved its main office to the Quartier des Spectacles. It's in a new building right next to the Place des Festivals square. The NFB uses the first four floors of this building. This move helps them connect more with the public. It also lets them expand their work in digital media.
More New Additions
- The Théâtre Telus is a large theatre, about 12,000 square feet. It used to be the Berri Cinema.
- The Société des arts technologiques also got bigger.
- A new cultural space was built over the Saint-Laurent metro station. It's home to LADMMI, a modern dance school.
- The Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan is now in the old Blumenthal Building.
- The Montreal Symphony House is a new concert hall. It's where the Montreal Symphony Orchestra performs.
- Dare-Dare, an artist-run center, has been near Metro St-Laurent since 2012.
Places That Were Already Here
Many important cultural spots were already in the Quartier des Spectacles area. They are still a big part of what makes this district special:
- Place des Arts
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (Museum of Contemporary Art)
- Grande Bibliothèque (Large Library)
- Cinémathèque québécoise (Quebec Film Library)
- Théâtre Saint-Denis
- Salles du Gesù, which is Montreal's oldest theatre
- Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
- Monument-National, home to the National Theatre School of Canada
- Club Soda
- Belgo Building
Changes to the Area
Over time, some things in the Quartier des Spectacles have changed. For example, a key arts venue called the Montreal Spectrum was taken down. Also, 67 mature crabapple trees were cut down in a small square.
Some older buildings on Saint-Laurent Boulevard were also taken apart. Their fronts might be used again in the future. This was part of making way for new developments in the area.
Celebrating Special Moments
The Quartier des Spectacles is a great place for special celebrations. For example, in 2014, the 100th birthday of Norman McLaren was celebrated. He was a famous filmmaker. A project called "McLaren Wall-to-Wall" showed short films inspired by his work. These films were projected onto famous buildings in the Quartier. This event ran from April 11 to June 1, 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Barrio de los espectáculos para niños
