As part of the celebrations around the city’s 375th anniversary, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex Pointe-à-Callière mandated Daily tous les jours to create the museology and scenography for a new permanent pavillion.
After 10 years of meticulous excavations, a team of archeologists discovered the remains of the historical birthplace of Montreal: where the first fort was erected in 1642. The exhibition Where Montreal Began is set directly atop these remains and tells the story of the foundation of the city.
Given the historical significance of the site and the importance for these stories to be remembered, the exhibition is designed to help visitors build an emotional connection with this particular place.
Set like a series of rituals, visitors are led through an immersive journey where they reconnect with the courage, the fears, the faith, the successes and failures, the beauty and the challenges of the exceptional human adventure that built this city.
Using the main architectural gesture – a glass flooring covering the ruins – as a starting point, the design of the exhibition is delicate and conveys the precious nature of the remains exposed while giving them an aura of magic.
Light and sound play a critical role in creating appropriate atmospheres to inspire a sense of collective contemplation. The immensity of nature is also brought into the space using large-scale video projections evoking the forces at play and the vulnerability of this expedition.