26 Oct 2018
Montréal collective to create public building out of refurbished subway cars
BY Andrew Manns
A team led by Canadian brothers and entrepreneurs Etienne and Frédéric Morin-Bordeleau have unveiled plans to create a multifunctional arts and events space from eight MR-63 subway cars.
The new three-storey structure, which has garnered the support of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), will feature a cafe, microbrewery, restaurant, auditorium, and various gallery and exhibition spaces.
According to the project team, the venue is expected to "enrich the cultural knowledge of citizens and tourists interested in Montréal’s culture".
Rayside Labossière, which has been tapped to design the building, said it will be an "inhabited structure" and serve as an "eco-responsible café and a space dedicated to emerging artists".
The now disused MR-63 subway cars were first unveiled in the 1960s when the city's government launched its metro system ahead of the Expo 67 world fair.
The Bordeleau brothers’ proposal to upcycle the trains, which recently gained traction following a successful crowdfunding campaign, is set to be realised in 2020.
A prototype of the future project, an 'ephemeral space' named Station F-MR, debuted last summer.
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