Tourism Reception Office for Tourisme Montréal
In order to revitalize its tourist welcome facilities in Montreal, Tourisme Montréal decided to rejuvenate them to better capture the city’s vitality.
Our mandate was to modernize two locations. The first, Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal, was redone in the colours of the Bonjour Montréal brand, with consideration for the ergonomics of the site for visitors and staff alike, while preserving its historic character. The large number of constraints posed by the small area regarding required storage space, partner identification and traffic flow became key inspirational drivers for the design team, whose work was at once vibrant yet had a clean, modern look. The second location was the Centre Infotouriste on Peel St. downtown, where the challenge consisted of harmonizing the partner brands sharing the space.
Tourist Welcome Kiosk, Place Jacques-Cartier
After being awarded the mandate, we mulled over the numerous elements that needed improvement at the Old Montreal Tourist welcome centre, with a mind to preserving the building’s historic charm. Great emphasis was placed on the visitor experience. A fluid, intuitive pathway was favoured to simplify user circulation for tourists and staff alike and make the offering warmer and more inviting.
Partners
Another critical aspect of the project was the visibility Tourisme Montréal offered its partners, who provide vital funding for the not-for-profit organization. Deploying anamorphosis-type postering to grab people’s attention and showcase the partners, we aimed to create a more dynamic space under the unique, uniform brand banner. By printing on magnetic substrates, we brought increased flexibility to the installation that the partners absolutely adored and that simplified use, helped save on printing costs and also expanded the surface area available for promotional signage.
As for presentation and storage, we developed presentation units for pamphlets with maximum built-in storage space for printed materials in the quantities we knew were required. Simple shelves made of sheet metal painted white preserved the minimalist look of the space and helped sponsors stand out.
Peel Tourist Information Centre
As part of the same mandate, a second space was reimagined: the downtown tourist centre on Peel St. The revitalization goal was to create a relaxing space where tourists could peruse the literature and explore the city’s offerings. We needed to reinvent the dynamics of the space which is shared by numerous tourist organizations. Using structured display units, appropriate furniture and technological tools, the goal was to help tourists become more autonomous in how they obtained information.
It is important to note the special attention paid to the integration of the Montréal vous accueille theme in the concepts. Relying on the same graphic code and the same hues and clean look, we opted for white and pale wood adding touches of the red characteristic of the Bonjour Montréal brand. Uniformization of a brand that’s modern, coherent and adapted for key Montreal tourist locations is vital for tourists orienting themselves in the city as well as for fostering a sense of pride among Montrealers.
