It’s hard to imagine Montreal without the distinctive tower that is Place Ville Marie in the heart of downtown. Or the light beacon on the tower that circles the city at night.

This year, the tower that dominates Montreal’s landscape is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Built in 1962 by architects Henry N. Cobb and I. M. Pei and developer William Zeckendorf, Place Ville Marie was built in the style of a cruciform tower.

artdesigncafé quotes Zeckendorf as saying his objectives were: “[...] to transform these three blocks into a city within the city. It calls for a complex of modern buildings related to each other within their own spacious setting, organically wed to the rest of Montreal.”

To celebrate its 50th year, Ivanhoé Cambridge and Alberta Investment Management Corp. – who own the square – have planned a series of events throughout the year including a permanent work of art. Montreal artist Nicolas Baier will create the work and unveil it in the Fall.

Read more about Place Ville Marie in an article written by Derek Drummond in a Policy Options February 2004 issue.

Photo: oknidius via Flickr (http://opnfil.es/xEsE06)