Photo credit: Alexandre Guilbeault
Inserted into five parking spaces facing 4301 St-Denis Street between Marie-Anne and Rachel, La Vague (The Wave) is 74 wooden frames that rotate in three degree intervals, suggesting the motion of a wave hitting the pavement. The seven shades of blue used in this artistic installation are reminiscent of a wave?s colours seen in daylight. Forty five misters, integrated into the structure, are activated by a magic eye, offering an instantly refreshing sensation. This feeling is created by a rise in the percentage of humidity in the air that decreases the ambient temperature, all without a single water droplet.
Conceived in San Francisco in 2007, the Parklet (small park) temporarily expands a sidewalk into parking spaces, creating a private or public space for relaxing and socializing. The term ?placottoir? (a place to chat) is generally used in the Montreal area to describe a public space that is given back to pedestrians. Photo credit: Alexandre Guilbeault
The refreshing stop is a place to pause and rest. Recently developed in Europe, it refreshes thanks to the introduction of misters that decrease the air temperature by approximately 5 degrees on hot summer days. This type of installation is seen primarily under awnings on private commercial terraces, but it is beginning to appear in public spaces as well. To date, it doesn?t appear to have been installed in parklets in Canada, or North America.

The Mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal Boroug...