Continuing the photo-essays on obscure Métro stations, today it’s Métro Charlevoix. It was my home station for about a year in the mid-eighties and at the time I hated it, because it was so deep, and being forced to take the green line one stop from Lionel-Groulx was a pain in the neck. Since then it has kind of grown on me, because I don’t have to use it two times every day. It was inaugurated on September 3, 1978. From a cursory search I can’t find any other buildings that the architects Ayotte and Bergeron built. More information about the station can be found at the STM’s website, Wikipedia and Metro de Montreal.
Some spooky ventilation duct at the Métro CharlevoixSome spooky ventilation duct at the Métro CharlevoixThe ornamental brick work on the platform at the Métro CharlevoixThe benches on the platform at the Métro CharlevoixThe exit from the platform at the Métro Charlevoix
Looking down at the entrance to the platform at the Métro CharlevoixLooking up at the exit to the platform at the Métro CharlevoixAnother spooky ventilation duct at the Métro CharlevoixAnother view of the other spooky ventilation duct at the Métro CharlevoixSome fancy grill work at the Métro CharlevoixLooking up one of the escalators at the Métro CharlevoixLooking down one of the escalators at the Métro CharlevoixThe stained glass at the Métro Charlevoix
Last month I the opportunity to go to the Joliette metro station. As you might have suspected, I found it very cool (the general critical consensus is that it isn’t all that hot). Finished, just in time for the 1976 Olympics, it was one of two metro stations designed by Marcel Raby. M. Raby was an architect for the city of Montreal and the only other thing that I can find that he worked on was the dome of Marché Bonsecours in 1978 after it had had a fire. But my guess would be there is lots more, it’s just not on the internet.
The southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The rear of the southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The rear of the southern entrance to Métro Joliette.The northern entrance to Métro Joliette.The northern entrance to Métro Joliette.The northern entrance to Métro Joliette.
While quite a lot of people don’t like the yellow bricks and the rather pedestrian nature of the buildings. I was enchanted by the color on a gray and snowy day. And just about pee’d my pants in delight when I discovered the back entrance which leads to an alleyway (ruelle in Montreal-speak).
The obscure métro stations just keep coming. This one surprised me in that it is very much a product of its times. It has an 80s post-apocalyptic feel to it. Either that or some brutalist architecture gone disco.
View from the platform.View from the platform.Glass Bricks
Lemoyne & Associés were the architects, and someone in their office must’ve loved glass bricks. Unfortunately, I can’t find any information about other things they’ve built.
View from the platform.Tiles on the platform.
This is (was) the first metro station I’ve ever seen where there were details on the tiles. I can’t figure out for the life of me why Lemoyne & Associés woudl specify such a tile, unless they got a deal on them.
One of the benches.
To my eye (and butt) the benches have a kind of, Art Deco feel to them.
Glass Bricks concealing a mural by Marcelin Cardinal.
Apparently some bright wag decided to hide the murals, which were likely part of the 1% art thing, behind glass bricks. It makes them extremely difficult to see. If you would like more information on Marcelin Cardinal, there is this article on him from Vie des Arts in 1972 and this article from 1981.
A mural by Charles Lemay behind glass brick.
Lauréat Marois and Normand Moffat did the two other murals obscured by glass bricks on the other platform.
More pictures of obscure metro stations. Pierre W Major was the architect and the only other thing that he built that I can find online is the Saint-Justin Church.
A tile circleA tile circleA tile circle
My best guess would be that he kind of liked (or maybe was one of) Les Plasticiens even though it was built in the 70s.
A tile circle and a tile quadrilateral A tile circle and a tile quadrilateral A tile quadrilateral Horizontal brick stripesHorizontal brick stripesDiagonal brick stripes
Metro de la Savane (Bougainville side)Metro de la Savane (Bougainville side)Metro de la Savane (Bougainville side)
The fence reminds me an awful lot of a musical staff and notes.
Metro de la Savane (Bougainville side)
I also find it weird that they thought that this side would be the back, when in fact it is the main entry path to the station.
Metro de la Savane (Bad landscaping view)Metro de la Savane (dead tree view)Metro de la Savane (living tree view)Metro de la Savane (de Sorel & Decarie)Metro de la Savane (Bougainville and de Sorel)Metro de la Savane
Opened in January 1984, is was designed by Guy de Varennes and Almas Mathieu. Guy de Varennes appears to have built a bunch of things in Haiti. While Almas Mathieu did a bunch of churches, schools and hospitals here in Quebec.
One of the more obscure metro stations in town, it is a rather interesting piece of architecture. Set up kind of like an iceberg, where what is on top does not reveal the size of what is below.
The entrance at 4520, rue de VerdunThe entrance at 4525, rue de VerdunApproaching it from rue WillibrordInteresting support system for the roof.The back of 4525, rue de VerdunLooking very 60sThe interior of 4525, rue de Verdun
The tunnel linking the north and south entrances.Looking down about 70 feet.The cross hatching and the orange, purple and white lines are the art.That's a humongous space!Cool looking lamps.More cool looking lamps.More cross-hatchingFrom the overpass looking down the train tunnel.
That’s my favorite view in the station. Very futuristic from a 1960s/70s perspective. Very Battlestar Galactica.
The view across the platform.The view further down the platform.The view on the platform.
