The Underground Pedestrian Network: Through the Corridors of Time

Rain or shine, the Underground Pedestrian Network is used by half a million Montrealers daily. And it’s not just a question of practicality; the Network is also a portal to a wealth of discoveries. From the esplanade of Place Ville Marie, you are about to embark on a subterranean architectural journey that will lead you through a temporal maze, right into the heart of the Quartier international. 

1962
Place Ville Marie, the starting point of your itinerary, is inaugurated. Designed by architect Ieoh Ming Pei, the tower’s cruciform architecture allows natural light to penetrate right into the very centre of the structure. The Underground Pedestrian Network was born here, with the construction of the first passage linking Place Ville Marie to Central Station. 

Continuing through Central Station, you will cross Place Bonaventure to arrive at 1000 de La Gauchetière. Under its soaring Atrium, skaters glide by on the vast indoor rink (open year-round), bathed in natural light pouring in from the massive skylight overhead. Then it’s back to Place Bonaventure, this time in the direction of Square Victoria.

1872
A monument dedicated to Queen Victoria is unveiled in the centre of the square named in her honour. Look for the authentic, art nouveau-style Parisian metro entrance that adorns the Square Victoria station, which was given to Montréal from the City of Light on the occasion of the 1967 World Exhibition.

From the metro entrance at the corner of McGill and Saint-Jacques, head back underground to the Stock Exchange Tower and the World Trade Centre. Next stop: the Centre CDP Capital, a superb example of the artful blending of traditional and contemporary styles so typical of Montréal. To the east, at Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, a flame-and-water fantasy awaits.

1969
Montréal artist Jean-Paul Riopelle begins his stunning sculpture-fountain, La Joute (The Joust). Today, the work is the crowning jewel of the public square, operating on a kinetic sequence that culminates in a dramatic ring of flame encircling the installation. The piece is a poetic expression of the interplay between the elements of fire and water.

Through the fountain mist, you will see the multi-coloured windows that form the western wall of the Palais des congrès (Montréal Convention Centre). Behind the translucent kaleidoscope of glass, look for the Jardin Nature Légère, a forest of 52 shocking-pink cement tree trunks. Gazing upon this fanciful creation by architect Claude Cormier, you’ll feel that your voyage through time has brought you to the beginning of the third millennium. And so ends the tour of the RÉSO (as in “réseau”, or “network” in French), one of the world’s largest indoor pedestrian networks.