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Berri-UQAM (Montreal Metro)
Encyclopedia
Berri-UQAM is the central station
of the Montreal Metro
rapid transit system
operated by the Société de transport de Montréal
(STM). It is located in the Quartier Latin
, in the borough of Ville-Marie, in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. The station opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original network of the metro. It is the busiest station in the network, transfers not included. If transfers were included, the 12 million passengers number would rise to about 35-40 million a year.
Designed by Longpré and Marchand, the station serves three lines: the Green
, Orange
, and Yellow
lines.
The main part of the station is a cruciform cut and cover volume built underneath the intersection of rue Berri and boul. de Maisonneuve
; the volume is so large that the station's design had to include massive pillars to support the street.
This central volume contains three levels. The upper level contains the rectangular mezzanine
at its centre, with fare barriers
on all four sides; the arms extend out to the station's entrances, with two more entrances at the crossing, and are also lined with shops and services.
Staircases
lead from the mezzanine to the landings on either side of the orange line. These landings provide views of the great volumes over the green line platforms below.
From the Green Line level, escalator
s and hallways connect the rest of the station to the Yellow Line terminus, built in tunnel
a block away under rue Saint-Denis
. Due to limited space in the tail tracks, trains reverse both in the tail tracks and in the foretracks leaving the station.
All three lines have side platform
s. This station was the first to be equipped with the MétroVision information screens which displays news, commercials, and the time till the next train.
In 2009, the station was made partially wheelchair
-accessible
through the addition of elevator
s. Two elevators now connect the orange line platform to the mezzanine. The other two lines are not yet accessible. The mezzanine can be accessed from the street via elevators in the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec
and UQAM
's Pavillon Judith-Jasmin; however, these buildings are not open throughout the metro's opening hours, however there is an elevator access directly in the Saint-Denis exit that opened in June 2010.
connections, listed below.
The work of five artists is exhibited in this station. The largest work is a stained-glass mural by Pierre Gaboriau and Pierre Osterrath
entitled Hommage aux fondateurs de la ville de Montréal (homage to the founders of the city of Montreal). A gift of the Union régionale de Montréal des caisses populaires Desjardins and installed in 1969, it depicts Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière
, Jeanne Mance
, and Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve
. It is located over the eastern portal of the Green Line tunnel.
Three paintings by Robert LaPalme are located over the main staircase leading to the Yellow Line terminus. Originally located at the entrance to Expo 67
, they represent three themes of the Expo: science, recreation, and culture.
A plaque by LaPalme and Georges Lauda, commemorating the inauguration of the metro, is located at the centre of the mezzanine. It is enclosed in a black circular bench, a popular meeting site, referred to as la rondelle (the hockey puck) or la pilule (the pill) or "le banc des fous" (the crazy bench).
There is also a piece of work located in the new Sainte-Catherine entrance pavilion, by architect Gaétan Pelletier. The work is a statue of Mother Émilie Gamelin
by Raoul Hunter
, commemorating Place Émilie-Gamelin
(also called Berri Square) in which the entrance is located. The statue is owned by the City of Montreal.
The most recent Art piece put in place inside the station would be the wall of Peace on concourse level of the yellow line.
It is consisting of coloured metal plates bearing the word "peace" in multiple languages.
From August 2010 until fall 2012 the station is currently undergoing a 7 million dollars renovation plan that will change the appearance of the station, secure the tunnels and roofs of Berri-UQAM station. Other work being done includes mechanical, structural and architectural improvements, and is expected to cost an additional 90 million dollars.
On September 2, 2001, a canister of tear gas was set off inside Berri-UQAM, forcing the evacuation of the 300 passengers inside.
. (The University has taken to using UQAM as its abbreviation which it displays as UQÀM (with a grave accent
over the a) as its logo; the metro station retains the UQAM form.)
The station was originally named Berri-de Montigny; rue de Montigny is the former name of boulevard de Maisonneuve in this area. The station is still, very occasionally, called this in speech; it is more often referred to as simply Berri.
Small stubs of de Montigny street still survive, in downtown between St-Laurent and St-Urbain
and in the suburb Montréal-Est.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
of the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
rapid transit system
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
operated by the Société de transport de Montréal
Société de transport de Montréal
The Société de transport de Montréal is a public transport agency that operates transit bus, and rapid transit services in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
(STM). It is located in the Quartier Latin
Quartier Latin (Montreal)
The Quartier Latin is an area in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, surrounding UQAM and lower Saint-Denis Street, between downtown and the Gay Village...
, in the borough of Ville-Marie, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The station opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original network of the metro. It is the busiest station in the network, transfers not included. If transfers were included, the 12 million passengers number would rise to about 35-40 million a year.
Overview
Line 1 Green (Montreal Metro)
The Green line is one of the four lines of the metro in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The line runs through the commercial section of downtown Montreal underneath Boulevard de Maisonneuve, formerly Rue de Montigny...
, Orange
Line 2 Orange (Montreal Metro)
The Orange line is the longest, most congested, and first-planned of the four lines of the Montreal Metro, in Montreal, Canada. It formed part of the initial network, and was extended between 1980 and 1986...
, and Yellow
Line 4 Yellow (Montreal Metro)
The Yellow line is one of the metro's four routes operating in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was popular when it opened for service because it connected Montreal's city centre with the Expo 67 exhibition and La Ronde on Île-Sainte-Hélène. Line 4 has three stations, and travels under the St....
lines.
The main part of the station is a cruciform cut and cover volume built underneath the intersection of rue Berri and boul. de Maisonneuve
De Maisonneuve Boulevard
De Maisonneuve Boulevard is a major westbound boulevard located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is named after the founder of Montreal, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve. De Maisonneuve Boulevard is about 11 kilometres long and begins on Havre Street in the east end, and ends in the...
; the volume is so large that the station's design had to include massive pillars to support the street.
This central volume contains three levels. The upper level contains the rectangular mezzanine
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
at its centre, with fare barriers
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
on all four sides; the arms extend out to the station's entrances, with two more entrances at the crossing, and are also lined with shops and services.
Staircases
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
lead from the mezzanine to the landings on either side of the orange line. These landings provide views of the great volumes over the green line platforms below.
From the Green Line level, escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s and hallways connect the rest of the station to the Yellow Line terminus, built in tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
a block away under rue Saint-Denis
Saint Denis Street
Saint Denis Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Montreal, Quebec.The street itself extends from the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel on Saint Paul Street in Old Montreal to the bank of the Rivière des Prairies at the north end of the island...
. Due to limited space in the tail tracks, trains reverse both in the tail tracks and in the foretracks leaving the station.
All three lines have side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. This station was the first to be equipped with the MétroVision information screens which displays news, commercials, and the time till the next train.
In 2009, the station was made partially wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-accessible
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
through the addition of elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s. Two elevators now connect the orange line platform to the mezzanine. The other two lines are not yet accessible. The mezzanine can be accessed from the street via elevators in the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec
Grande Bibliothèque du Québec
The Grande Bibliothèque du Québec was a public corporation of the province of Quebec, Canada. It came to existence in 1998 and merged with Bibliothèque nationale du Québec in 2002. Its purpose was to plan the creation of the Grande Bibliothèque....
and UQAM
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
's Pavillon Judith-Jasmin; however, these buildings are not open throughout the metro's opening hours, however there is an elevator access directly in the Saint-Denis exit that opened in June 2010.
Architecture and art
The station has a total of four independent exits: three integrated into buildings (the Berri, Saint-Denis, and Place Dupuis exits) and one free-standing kiosk (the Sainte-Catherine exit). The station also contains several underground cityUnderground city, Montreal
Montreal's Underground City is the set of interconnected complexes in and around Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
connections, listed below.
The work of five artists is exhibited in this station. The largest work is a stained-glass mural by Pierre Gaboriau and Pierre Osterrath
Osterrath
Osterrath is the family name of a stained glass workshop operating from Tilff, Belgium beginning in the final part of the 19th century. Their works were in the neo-gothic style of the period and samples or their works can be seen in cathedrals in Liège, Belgium and in many religious constructions...
entitled Hommage aux fondateurs de la ville de Montréal (homage to the founders of the city of Montreal). A gift of the Union régionale de Montréal des caisses populaires Desjardins and installed in 1969, it depicts Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière
Jerome le Royer de la Dauversiere
Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière was a Jesuit who was head of the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal.- Youth :...
, Jeanne Mance
Jeanne Mance
Jeanne Mance was a French settler of New France. She was one of the founders of Montreal who secured its survival and was the founder and head of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal.-Origins:...
, and Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve was a French military officer and the founder of Montreal.- Early career :...
. It is located over the eastern portal of the Green Line tunnel.
Three paintings by Robert LaPalme are located over the main staircase leading to the Yellow Line terminus. Originally located at the entrance to Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
, they represent three themes of the Expo: science, recreation, and culture.
A plaque by LaPalme and Georges Lauda, commemorating the inauguration of the metro, is located at the centre of the mezzanine. It is enclosed in a black circular bench, a popular meeting site, referred to as la rondelle (the hockey puck) or la pilule (the pill) or "le banc des fous" (the crazy bench).
There is also a piece of work located in the new Sainte-Catherine entrance pavilion, by architect Gaétan Pelletier. The work is a statue of Mother Émilie Gamelin
Émilie Gamelin
Émilie Gamelin , also known as Marie-Émilie-Eugène Gamelin and Amélie Gamelin, was a Canadian social worker and Roman Catholic nun. She is best known as the founder and first superior of the Sisters of Providence...
by Raoul Hunter
Raoul Hunter
Raoul Hunter is a sculptor and caricaturist.- Biography :Hunter studied at the School of fine arts of Quebec city and at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts of Paris....
, commemorating Place Émilie-Gamelin
Place Émilie-Gamelin
Place Émilie-Gamelin is a city square in central Montreal, Canada. It was created to mark the 350th anniversary of the city....
(also called Berri Square) in which the entrance is located. The statue is owned by the City of Montreal.
The most recent Art piece put in place inside the station would be the wall of Peace on concourse level of the yellow line.
It is consisting of coloured metal plates bearing the word "peace" in multiple languages.
From August 2010 until fall 2012 the station is currently undergoing a 7 million dollars renovation plan that will change the appearance of the station, secure the tunnels and roofs of Berri-UQAM station. Other work being done includes mechanical, structural and architectural improvements, and is expected to cost an additional 90 million dollars.
History
The Berri-UQAM station was the site of the Metro's inauguration on October 14, 1966.On September 2, 2001, a canister of tear gas was set off inside Berri-UQAM, forcing the evacuation of the 300 passengers inside.
Origin of the name
Berri-UQAM is named for both Rue Berri, so called since 1663 and named for landholder Simon Després dit Le Berry, and the Université du Québec à MontréalUniversité du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
. (The University has taken to using UQAM as its abbreviation which it displays as UQÀM (with a grave accent
Grave accent
The grave accent is a diacritical mark used in written Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Dutch, French, Greek , Italian, Mohawk, Norwegian, Occitan, Portuguese, Scottish Gaelic, Vietnamese, Welsh, Romansh, and other languages.-Greek:The grave accent was first used in the polytonic orthography of Ancient...
over the a) as its logo; the metro station retains the UQAM form.)
The station was originally named Berri-de Montigny; rue de Montigny is the former name of boulevard de Maisonneuve in this area. The station is still, very occasionally, called this in speech; it is more often referred to as simply Berri.
Small stubs of de Montigny street still survive, in downtown between St-Laurent and St-Urbain
Saint Urbain Street
St. Urbain Street is a major one-way street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The street has historically been home to Montreal's well-established Jewish community, who settled in the area at the turn of the 20th century. Writer Mordecai Richler often documents what life was like on this street...
and in the suburb Montréal-Est.
Connecting bus routes
| Route | Service Times | Map | Schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Société de transport de Montréal| 15 Sainte-Catherine | 15 Sainte-Catherine The 15 Sainte-Catherine is a bus route in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . The route operates 7 days a week between the hours of 9 AM and 1 AM and is a wheelchair accessible route. It serves the borough of Ville-Marie. It has 23 stops in... All-day | Map | Schedule | 30 St-Denis/St-Hubert | All-day | Map | Schedule | 427 Express Saint-Joseph | 427 Express Saint-Joseph The 427 Express Saint-Joseph is an express bus route in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal . The route operates from Monday to Friday during the morning and afternoon rush hours. It operates from 6:45 AM to 9 AM and 3:30 PM to 6 PM. It is a... Rush Hour Monday-Friday | Map | Schedule | 515 Old Port/Old Montreal | All-day | Map | Schedule | 747 Express Bus Airport | 747 Express Bus The 747 Express Bus runs between Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and Gare d'autocars de Montreal, the downtown bus terminal, which is connected to the Montreal Metro at the Berri-UQAM station... 24 Hours Daily-Year Round | Map | Schedule | 358 Sainte-Catherine | Overnight | Map | Schedule | 361 Saint-Denis | Overnight | Map | Schedule | | |||
Connected via the underground city
- Université du Québec à MontréalUniversité du Québec à MontréalThe Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
- Station Centrale d'Autobus de MontréalStation centrale d'autobusGare d'autocars de Montréal is a government-owned bus terminal located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the departure and arrival point for most inter-city buses...
- Place Dupuis - Hôtel des Gouverneurs
- Grande BibliothèqueGrande BibliothèqueThe Grande Bibliothèque is a very large public library in Downtown Montreal, Quebec. Its collection is part of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec , Quebec's national library.Membership in the library is free to all residents of Quebec...
Other
- Quartier LatinQuartier Latin (Montreal)The Quartier Latin is an area in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, surrounding UQAM and lower Saint-Denis Street, between downtown and the Gay Village...
- Cégep du Vieux MontréalCégep du Vieux MontréalCégep du Vieux Montréal is a CEGEP located at 255 rue Ontario Est, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
- Hôpital Saint-Luc du CHUM
- Cinémathèque québécoise
- National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
- Place Émilie-GamelinPlace Émilie-GamelinPlace Émilie-Gamelin is a city square in central Montreal, Canada. It was created to mark the 350th anniversary of the city....
("Berri Square")
- Théâtre Saint-Denis
- Cinéma du Quartier-Latin
- Service CanadaService CanadaService Canada is part of a Government of Canada-wide service transformation initiative aimed at responding to Canadians' expressed desire for better, more responsive, less cluttered service from Canadian governments...
- Métropolis
External links
- Société de transport de Montréal - official web page of the station
- Berri-UQAM metro station geo location
- Montreal by Metro, metrodemontreal.com - photos, information, and trivia
- 2008 STM System Map
- 2008 Downtown System Map
- Metro Map