Montreal, Quebec
Cultural
Competition, 1st Prize, built

Perched on the edge of the elevated highway at the entrance of Pierre-Elliott Trudeau International Airport, the signage structure marks the transition between city and airport; from ground to sky. The ephemeral monolith is covered in a kinetic aluminum skin composed of over a hundred gradually twisting vertical louvers. This skin uses the directional movement of passengers on the highway to reflect the sentiment of arrival and departure through light. A precise custom manufacturing and assembly process emphasizes the technical nature of aeronautics and Quebec's material production identities. Aluminum was primarily chosen for its non-corrosive, light, strong, and malleable qualities that enabled the use of long strips without losing mechanical torsion. Through custom die fabrication, specifically shaped louvers were created — flat on one side and undulated on the other, allowing us to obtain two subtle variations in textures on opposite sides — while laser-cut mechanical fasteners and an opalescent cellular polycarbonate panel system ensured regularity, weatherproofing and light diffusion.

Images by James Brittain
Signalétique Aéroport de Montréal