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Giant 23,000-kilogram steel ring to be installed in Montreal as public art

MONTREAL — A giant steel ring weighing more than 23,000 kilograms will soon loom over downtown Montreal — all in the name of art.
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An architectural rendering of The Ring by Claude Cormier + Associés is shown in this undated handout photo. The giant steel ring weighing more than 23,000 kilograms will soon loom over downtown Montreal, all in the name of public art. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Ivanhoe Cambridge *MANDATORY CREDIT*

MONTREAL — A giant steel ring weighing more than 23,000 kilograms will soon loom over downtown Montreal — all in the name of art. 

Real estate company Ivanhoé Cambridge said Tuesday the 30-metre-tall ring will be installed later this year at its Place Ville Marie property in the heart of downtown.

The company says the ring, designed by landscape architecture firm Claude Cormier et Associés, will be suspended between two buildings and lit up at night.

The news release says the art piece will connect Place Ville Marie's esplanade to the city and symbolize the strong connection between Montreal, its citizens and its visitors.

"This major addition will visually link the recently revitalized Esplanade PVM to the rest of the city while restoring its original event-related and cultural role and making it a preferred gathering place in the city centre," the company said in a news release.

Ivanhoé Cambridge did not say how much the ring will cost, but it said it received financial support from Montreal's tourism organization and the Quebec government's fund for downtown revitalization.

Quebec Transport Minister Chantal Rouleau said in a statement that the art installation will help attract visitors to downtown Montreal and contribute to the district's continued revitalization after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Montreal and its downtown are catalysts for the Quebec economy. The business, cultural and tourism communities have acted quickly to bring life back to the heart of our metropolis," the statement read. 

"A monumental installation like The Ring will have the power to attract visitors and will crown all the efforts made over the past two years." 

The company said the ring will be made of curved tube measuring 80 centimetres in diameter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2022.

The Canadian Press

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