REM Fairview Pointe-Claire station – Anyone who has driven along the West Island sector of highway 40 in the past couple of years has seen the different stages of construction for the REM (Reseau Express Metropolitain), especially near the area of the Fairview Pointe-Claire mall, where one of the stations is located. They have witnessed the pile driving for the elevated structure’s columns and stations, with the launching gantries ‘Marie’ and ‘Anne’ lifting huge concrete segments into the air and assembling them one after the other between the columns – all in preperation for laying down the tracks. Except for some Artist Rendition images, what has not really been seen to date, is what the stations will really look like – and that will only happen once they are completed.
However, an opportunity to have a better and more realistic look is being offered through a 3D video (alike to video game virtual reality technology) of the future Fairview Pointe-Claire station, produced by Lemay, one of the three firms in the consortium that was given the architectural mandate for 25 of the REM stations (along with Perkins+Will and Bisson Fortin).
About the REM Fairview Pointe-Claire station:
STATIONS INTEGRATED INTO AN ELEVATED STRUCTURE: As you cross Highway 40, you can see the REM’s elevated structure increasingly taking shape. In the West Island, this structure will feature four new elevated light rail stations serving three municipalities in a matter of minutes.
REM Fairview Pointe-Claire station and map of other REM stations
This structure allows these future REM stations to serve thousands of people without breaking up the territory by keeping the vast majority of pedestrian, cyclist and road accesses open. It also limits the footprint and minimizes the impact on roads by spanning the A40’s on- and off-ramps. The structure also guarantees increased frequency and fast travel times for direct access to downtown in less than 30 minutes, travelling over the traffic.
STATION EXTERIORS: REM stations all observe the same main architectural principles and include the concepts of transparency, movement and wood. However, each station is adapted to its surroundings and has its own typology (underground, trench, level, on a slope or elevated).
Fairview-Pointe-Claire is one of the six so-called elevated REM stations, along with Des Sources, Kirkland, Roxboro-Pierrefonds, Sunnybrooke and Deux-Montagnes. Elevated stations are differentiated by their vertical volumes. They have separate platforms, one for each direction, located on each side of the elevated platform.
ENTRANCE: As soon as users enter a REM station site and approach the entrance, they will be guided by lines creating a pattern in the pavement. The entrance to the building is clearly visible thanks to its prominent canopy, which is used in all REM stations.
THE INTERIOR: (From the entrance to the platform) As soon as you enter the station, you’ll see lines on the ground that continue those on the outside pavement. The ticket validation gates are also located at the entrance; tickets will be provided by the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM). *The validation terminals seen in the video are for information purposes only and not representative of reality at this time. All REM stations will have elevators to ensure greater accessibility for people with reduced mobility. A guidance path, i.e. a path where the pavers are raised, is embedded in the ground to allow people with a white cane to orient themselves in the station and head for the platforms. Taking the stairs toward the platforms, you can see the curtain wall pattern through the partition glass, which creates an effect of verticality. This pattern then changes and becomes horizontal along the platforms, following the users’ movement.
MOVEMENT: One of the three pillars of the REM’s architecture can be observed through the pattern of the curtain walls, visible both outside and inside the stations. Service ducts are located in the ceiling, concealing several functional components, including cables, surveillance cameras, lighting, speakers, etc. These ducts are both functional and aesthetically pleasing by fitting discreetly into the station’s architecture.
COLOUR THEME: The architects have developed a colour strategy that will be incorporated into the REM network, divided into six sections – each of which has a distinct colour theme. The West Island section, including the Fairview Pointe-Claire station, will be ‘Forest’ (green), inspired by the places crossed along the REM’s route in the area. The colour theme will apply to the: stations’ ceramic walls and tile floors, furniture, ceramic tiles, plantings (or islands of biodiversity around the stations).
The first REM trains are expected to start running from the South Shore to Bonaventure-Central Station in 2021. Other branches will gradually come into service in 2022-2023, which includes the West Island.
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