Jean Dumontier (23 June 1935 – 27 December 2018) was a Canadian- Quebecois architect and artist. He is best known for having designed the

Montreal Metro The Montreal Metro (french: Métro de Montréal) is a rubber-tired underground rapid transit system serving Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The metro, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was inaugurated on October 14, ...

stations Jean-Drapeau (serving the

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

site) and Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke. He was also the first architect of the subway to have himself created the works of art for the stations of his own design, those being the four concrete walls of the dock of the station Jean-Drapeau.

Biography

Murale de Jean Dumontier, station Jean-Drapeau

Longueuil metro station Dumontier artwork

Born in Rigaud in 1935, Jean Dumontier was hired by the city of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

in the 1960s, joining the team of architects who developed the

in 1962. He was entrusted with the design of stations that would serve

, Île-Sainte-Hélène and Longueuil (today Jean-Drapeau and Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke). He also created the murals of the Jean-Drapeau station, representing the

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and recalling the theme of Expo 67, " Man and His World" (Terre des Hommes). In 1967, at the age of 32, he became head of the metro design office and hired young architects of his generation. In the 1970s, he was appointed Superintendent of the Architecture Division at the Metropolitan Transportation Bureau (BTM), then became its director, overseeing the extension of the network in the 1970s and 1980s. Throughout his career, he promoted the integration of works of art into the architecture of all stations, which makes the Montreal metro unique in the world. Several noted artists, such as

Jean-Paul Mousseau Jean-Paul Mousseau (January 1, 1927 – February 7, 1991) was a Quebec artist. He was a student of Paul-Émile Borduas, a member of the Automatist group and a founding member of the Association of Non-Figurative Artists of Montreal. Career Jea ...

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, Charles Daudelin and

Frédéric Bach Frédéric and Frédérick are the French versions of the common male given name Frederick. They may refer to: In artistry: * Frédéric Back, Canadian award-winning animator * Frédéric Bartholdi, French sculptor * Frédéric Bazille, Impress ...

, are represented by significant works in the Montreal underground. Many cities around the world approached Dumontier to build, extend or modernize their transit system. Cities like Mexico City, Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Atlanta have been inspired by the Montreal network in their own drives for redevelopment. Jean Dumontier died of cancer on 27 December 2018, at the age of 83.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumontier, Jean Canadian architects French Quebecers Montreal Metro artists 1935 births 2018 deaths

Biography

See also

References