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 |
The Quartier des Spectacles is a special area in Downtown Montreal where lots of exciting arts and entertainment events happen. It's like the heart of Montreal's cultural scene, full of festivals and shows. It's even part of a worldwide group called the Global Cultural Districts Network.
This vibrant area covers almost one square kilometer. It's bordered by City Councillors Street, Berri Street, Sherbrooke Street, and René Lévesque Boulevard. It also includes the famous Latin Quarter of Montreal.
The idea for this district started in 2002. It was planned to have 30 performance halls with almost 28,000 seats, including the big Place des Arts complex. You can also find international festivals, art galleries, and many other cultural places here. The Quartier des Spectacles provides about 8,500 jobs related to cultural activities, from teaching to creating and showing art.
Today, many of Montreal's biggest festivals take place here. These include the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Francofolies, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival. The area has cool features like concert spaces, green areas, lighted fountains, special streetlights, and bike paths.
The main public space in the Quartier is the Place des Festivals. This new urban square is on Jeanne-Mance Street, right across from Place des Arts. It has become a popular spot for outdoor events. The square features a water fountain with 235 jets, four light towers, two restaurants with glass walls, a grassy slope, and granite walkways.
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New Places to Explore
The Quartier des Spectacles has added several exciting new buildings and spaces.
Édifice 2-22
Édifice 2-22 is a cultural center that focuses on contemporary art. Its ticket office, located at the corner of Saint Catherine Street and Saint Laurent Boulevard, was designed by the famous French architect Paul Andreu.
Maison du développement durable
The Maison du développement durable is a special building next to the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. It was the second building in Canada to get the highest "LEED Platinum" certification. This means it's very environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Louis Bohème Tower
The district also includes the Louis Bohème, a tall 28-story condo tower. This building was also designed by Menkès Shooner Dagenux LeTourneux.
National Film Board of Canada
In 2017, the National Film Board of Canada moved its main office to the Quartier des Spectacles. Their new building is right next to the Place des Festivals square. This move helps the NFB connect more with the public. It also lets them expand their digital media research and production facilities.
More New Additions
- Théâtre Telus: This is a large 12,000 square foot (1,115 m2) theater, which used to be the Berri Cinema.
- An expansion for the Société des arts technologiques.
- A new cultural space above the Saint-Laurent metro station. This space is home to LADMMI, which is Les Ateliers de danse moderne de Montréal.
- A new lighting plan for the area, created by Axel Morgenthaler.
- Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan: This building now occupies the historic Blumenthal Building.
- Montreal Symphony House: A new concert hall built for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
- Dare-Dare: This artist-run center has been located near Metro St-Laurent since 2012.
Existing Cultural Spots
Many cultural places were already in the area before the Quartier des Spectacles was created. These include:
- Place des Arts
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (Museum of Contemporary Art)
- Grande Bibliothèque (Main Library)
- Cinémathèque québécoise (Quebec Film Library)
- Théâtre Saint-Denis
- Salles du Gesù: Montreal's oldest theater.
- Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
- Monument-National: Home to the National Theatre School of Canada.
- Club Soda
- Belgo Building
Notable Events
The Quartier des Spectacles often hosts special events. For example, in 2014, the 100th birthday of Norman McLaren was celebrated. The National Film Board of Canada created a project called "McLaren Wall-to-Wall." Short films inspired by McLaren's animated works were projected onto famous buildings in the Quartier. This event ran from April 11 to June 1, 2014.
Images for kids
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Place des festivals, at night.
See also
In Spanish: Barrio de los espectáculos para niños
