Come on in, we're open! - 2008 Design Montréal Open House kicks off! - Designers and architects welcome you on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4

Catherine Sévigny, City Councillor Responsible for Culture and the Downtown area, accompanied by Macha Limonchik, actress, and Mario Gagnon, President of the Association des designers industriels du Québec, spokespersons for this year's Design Montréal Open House, visited the Saint Joseph's Oratory elevator and rock today for a guided tour given by its architect-designer, Paul de Guire. The activity kicked off the second annual Design Montréal Open House, today and tomorrow from noon to 5 p.m., during which members of the public are invited to visit, free of charge, more than 70 Montréal design offices, projects and sites that have won national and international design honours.

Creators and sites to discover

Once again this year, Montrealers have an opportunity to meet the designers of winning Montréal projects: architects, landscape architects, interior designers, industrial designers, graphic designers, fashion designers and urban planners. All will be on hand at their places of work to talk about their achievements and answer visitors' questions.

The public is also invited to visit prize-winning Montréal projects, accompanied by the architects and designers who created them, and to tour key venues dedicated to design. A free shuttle service is available between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to transport visitors to offices located far from the city's downtown core.

And on Sunday starting at 11 a.m., Montréal Mayor Gérald Tremblay will tour the design offices located in the Cité Multimédia district and downtown.

"This open house event provides a chance for the public to appreciate the powerful creative inspiration of artists who channel their talents and drive into improving the quality of life in our city," said Christine St-Pierre, Québec Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women. "I invite the public to come and take part in these two days of discovery, during which they can admire a wealth of made-in-Québec expertise in design, planning and architecture."

For her part, Ms. Sévigny said: "Montréal was awarded the status of UNESCO City of Design thanks to the strong concentration of talent found here, and our collective willingness to take advantage of this outstanding creative talent pool to enhance the quality of the living environment for all Montrealers. The Design Montréal Open House offers citizens an opportunity to get to know our designers and to see the extent to which their work helps make our city a more pleasant place to live."

And Claude Dauphin, President of the Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal, added: "The principal quality of a metropolis like Montréal is its capacity to change and to stand apart by drawing on the diversity, dynamism and talent of creators of all disciplines. The Design Montréal Open House event lets all Montréalers discover the emerging designers who will influence tomorrow's innovations."

Spotlight on emerging designers

New on the program for 2008: visitors will be able to view exhibitions by graduating classes in the design and architecture programs of the city's various universities. Also new this year: the Open House will give pride of place to emerging designers and new design practices at a Pecha Kucha evening devoted to creation, this evening at 8 p.m. at the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT).

In the words of the event's spokespersons, Ms. Limonchik and Mr. Gagnon: "This event is a singular occasion for members of the public to get out and meet our finest designers and architects, to better understand their creative process, to chat with them, to admire their latest projects and, in so doing, to discover our city from another perspective. We invite all Montrealers to take part in this Open House and see for themselves why Montréal is a UNESCO City of Design."

The event features a diverse program, including highly original activities that will spotlight all the richness, diversity and talent that Montréal's design professionals have to offer. For detailed program information, including a list of sites to visit and designers to meet, visit the website designmontreal.com.

The Design Montréal Open House is an initiative of the Ville de Montréal in partnership with the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec, pursuant to the Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montréal, with support from the Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal. The Design Montréal office was created in January 2006 by the Ville de Montréal. Its mission is to implement the municipal action plan aimed at improving design throughout the city and positioning Montréal as a city of design.

SOURCE: Ville de Montréal - Service de la mise en valeur du territoire et du patrimoine (SMVTP)

Hélène Reeves or Marie-Andrée Gagnon, Design Montréal, (514)
872-5323, or (514) 573-7892; Colette Proulx, Ministère de la Culture, des
Communications et de la Condition féminine, (514) 873-2979