Spectacular infrastructure: The mediatic space of Montreal’s ‘Quartier des spectacles’

Montréal’s ‘Quartier des spectacles’ development plan represents a substantial investment in the city’s creative economy and built infrastructure. A striking element of this urban initiative is the manner in which the architectural structures and public spaces of the area are themselves in the process of becoming spectacular through the incorporation of numerous media technologies. Traditional dividing lines between public art, urban design and site branding are significantly blurred in the mediatic space of downtown Montréal. This article will discuss a number of public art installations that have already taken form within the Quartier des spectacles and consider how these projects coincide with or challenge existing interpretative models of aesthetics, economy and public space.