6th Design Montréal Open House - More than 20,000 visits made to Montréal architects and designers this past weekend

MONTREAL, May 8, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - More than 20,000 visits were recorded this weekend at participating architects and designers who opened their doors as part of the 6^th Design Montréal Open House. This resounding success is proof of the public's interest in design and architecture. The range of visitors was as varied as the motivations that drew them to the nearly 110 chosen locations; some came out of simple curiosity, others came to discover the creative practitioners in their neighbourhood, and still others were on the lookout for new ideas or to find a professional with whom to entrust their own project. The participants who opened their doors were unanimous in praising this welcome opportunity to reach out to citizens and to have their work better known.

Several visitors took advantage of the open house to exchange ideas freely with the designers and to learn about their award-winning projects and current endeavours. Young adults were able to discover a variety of workplaces and to draw inspiration for career or job choices from the passion of the designers they met. Each open house was a new opportunity to gain a better sense of the scope of design and its impact on our lives; interactive activities for children and adults (guided tours, creative workshops, presentation of mock-ups and visual projects, and more) helped shed light on the stages involved in developing a design project, from idea to reality. Making architecture and design available in this way helped to demystify, personalize, visualize and experience these creative fields, to the great joy of thousands of people.

The open house was in full swing in the streets and neighbourhoods of eight Montréal boroughs, with activities concentrated in the north and east on Saturday and in the downtown area and south on Sunday. Signs of the event were everywhere (streamers, marked trails, posters and iconic drawings). Visitors could be seen going door to door, with programs and maps in hand, eager to visit as many locations as possible. Advertised several days before the event, the walking trail laid out by Heritage Montréal in tribute to architect Luc Laporte thoroughly enthralled the public.

About Design Montréal Open House and the Ville de Montréal's Bureau du design
The Design Montréal Open House was created by the Ville de Montréal's Bureau du design in 2007, following the designation of Montréal as a UNESCO City of Design (2006). The event is organized every two years in partnership with the professional community and with the support of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, pursuant to the Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montréal.
The mission of the Bureau du design is to implement the municipal action plan aimed at improving design throughout the city and positioning Montréal as a UNESCO City of Design. Montréal is a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, as a City of Design. The Network, which comprises 34 cities in 18 countries (11 of which are recognized as Cities of Design), enables creative practitioners in member cities to share experiences, best practices and knowledge on an international scale.

Photo links on CNW :

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http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130505_C3596_PHOTO_FR_26356.jpg
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SOURCE: VILLE DE MONTREAL - SERVICE DE LA MISE EN VALEUR DU TERRITOIRE ET DU PATRIMOINE (SMVTP)

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Source:
Sylvie Champeau
Bureau du design, Ville de Montréal
514 872-2023

Media relations:
Hélène Reeves
Reeves & Associates
514 573-6892
[email protected]

Available photos: mtlunescodesign.photoshelter.com
Password:    podmtl2013 (required for downloading)
Photographers:  Mathieu Rivard and Michael Abril