Montreal architect to add colour to new community centre

The Pierrefonds/Roxboro borough’s new east end community centre will greet visitors with plenty of colour, thanks to Montreal architect Hal Ingberg.

As part of the City of Montreal’s ‘Public Art in the boroughs’ program, Pierrefonds/Roxboro commissioned Ingberg to create a permanent piece of art for the wall at the community centre’s entrance. Ingberg, -- who has done a number of public art pieces, including the coloured glass at Montreal’s Palais des congrès -- was chosen out of three candidates who showed interest in the project.

Ingberg said the abstract piece will use a number of different colours, all of which will work together. “Once you’re up close, you’ll notice the way the colours work together to create special light effects. The effect of colour will be really strong,” Ingberg said, adding the piece should take a couple of months to complete. “It will be time consuming. The colours are in stripes and they will be very narrow from the top to bottom. There will be a lot of taping of the wall and painting in between.”

Borough secretary Suzanne Corbeil said the new community centre, which is located on Gouin Boulevard right across from the Sunnybrooke train station, is being built to better serve the residents in Pierrefonds/Roxboro’s east end.

The architectural conception and the construction of the community centre are costing the borough just under $3.5 million. Pierrefonds/Roxboro also approved a $195,500 contract for the landscaping around the building during their May borough council meeting. According to Corbeil, about one per cent of the building’s cost is devoted to the artwork, as part of Montreal’s ‘Public Art in the boroughs’ program.

Corbeil added the new community centre should be inaugurated at the end of the summer. “At this time, it’s almost done. The interior is 98 per cent done. There are just touch-ups, finishing, painting, and small corrections left to do,” she said. “The exterior structure is almost done as well.”