Project Background

As part of Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations, the historical societies of Outremont and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension collaborated to produce a travelling exhibition on the legacy of the Outremont marshalling yard, a site that once played a key role in the city’s industrial development and is now in the process of reinvention.

L’Enclume – Atelier de développement territorial was responsible for content development and brought in La bande à Paul for exhibition design and scenography.

What La bande à Paul Brought to the Table

Working with a limited archive of site-specific imagery – both in quality and quantity – La bande à Paul was tasked with optimizing and integrating the available visuals into a cohesive exhibition design. Originally presented in July 2017, the exhibition was slated to travel to a range of venues, each with its own spatial constraints. Since subsequent installations would be handled by non-professional teams, the need for simple, foolproof solutions was clear from the outset.

To ensure maximum flexibility without sacrificing visual impact, La bande à Paul designed a set of custom self-supporting structures. Made from vertical steel tubing, the components were deliberately minimal, modular, and easy to install. This approach allowed the exhibition to be reconfigured to suit each space while preserving the exhibition’s visual cohesion and narrative intent.