Games of the Official Report Volume II XXI Olympiad Facilities Montréal 1976 ©Copyright COJO 76, 1978 All rights reserved Printed and bound in

Legal Deposit National Library 2nd Quarter, 1978

2 Table of contents

3 Introduction 9 Abbreviations and Symbols

10 1 The project in general 10 Scope of Installations 13 Organization Chart of the Construction Directorate 14 Chronology of Construction Activity

32 2 The Olympic City 34 The Olympic Park 42 Olympic 66 Olympic Pool 76 Olympic Velodrome 86 90 Pierre Charbonneau Centre 94 Olympic Village 106 International Centre Olympic Village

110 3 Facilities in Greater Montréal 112 Olympic Basin, 118 Claude Robillard Centre 124 Étienne Desmarteau Centre 130 St. Michel Arena 134 Paul Sauvé Centre 138 The Forum 144 Winter Stadium University of Montréal 150 Molson Stadium McGill University 156 Road Courses for Cycling and Athletics 164 Training Sites 172 Press Centre 180 COJO Headquarters

184 4 Facilities outside Montréal 186 Olympic Shooting Range, L'Acadie 190 Olympic Archery Field, Joliette 194 Olympic Equestrian Centre, Bromont 202 Le Pavilion d'éducation physique et des sports de I'Université Laval 208 Sherbrooke Stadium 212 Sherbrooke Sports Palace 216 Olympic Yachting Centre, Kingston 226 , 230 Lansdowne Park, Ottawa

235 Appendice 239 Personnel Official Report

7 Olympic Village

In 1969, at the time of Montréal's The city then had second thoughts initial bid to host the Games of the XXI and submitted to the International Olympiad, the city had agreed to ob- Olympic Committee (IOC) a project for serve the long-standing tradition of a village consisting of five different locating athletes' living quarters in one buildings, spread over a radius of sev- location close to the main competition eral kilometres from the Olympic Park. sites. The object was to integrate Olympic Accordingly, the Olympic Village living quarters as much as possible into was to be situated only a few hundred the city's long-range public housing metres to the north of the future program. . This proposal was rejected by the IOC in June 1973. Montréal was informed that it would have to con- struct a village in keeping with IOC standards, which decreed that "the Organizing Committee shall provide an Olympic Village for men and one for d Blv X I e Pi

Site location plan 1 Olympic Stadium 2 Olympic Pool 3 Olympic Velodrome 4 Maurice Richard Arena 5 Pierre Charbonneau Centre 6 Olympic Village (residences) 7 Olympic Village (parkland) 8 International Centre

94 women so that competitors and team officials can be housed together and fed at a reasonable price. The Village shall be located as close as possible to the main stadium, practice fields and other facilities." (Olympic Rule 39). Several possible sites were consid- ered, but the choice finally fell to the location initially proposed, a 34-hectare plot of land on the municipal golf course about 800 m from the Olympic Stadium.

Preparatory Work Before construction work could get underway, COJO had to clarify its needs and objectives, based largely

Site plan 1 Women's residence 9 Bus parking area 2 Men's residences 10 Bus inspection zone 3 Tunnel to Olympic 1 1 Delegates' parking Park areas 4 Outdoor theatre 12 International Centre 5 Terrace café 6 Indoor pool 7 Place des Nations 8 Validation centre

95

upon directives issued by the IOC. A COJO's responsibilities involved questionnaire was sent to the various housing the approximately 12,000 ath- national Olympic committees to deter- letes and team members expected for mine housing, food and other related the Games, providing space in the services required. By the end of the Village for administrative services and summer of 1973, COJO was able to installing offices for the various prepare a detailed list of requirements national delegations. COJO also had to for the City of Montréal, which then make arrangements for boutiques and called for design and construction lounges and provide facilities for social proposals. and cultural events. Two projects were submitted. The first, a design for a temporary village, The Montréal Concept was prepared by a composite team of The Olympic Village consisted of teachers and students from the Faculté four high-rise buildings grouped two by d'aménagement of the University of two with a slight angle between them, Montréal, a firm of architects and a the resulting structures being dubbed company that specialized in the con- "pyramids" because of their shape struction of prefabricated buildings. It and design. This visually spectacular consisted of the consolidation of hun- complex, nearly 600 m in length and dreds of light, prefabricated com- rising to a height of 19 stories, acted as ponents, never more than two stories a sort of barrier between the noisy, bus- high. The entire structure was designed tling atmosphere of Sherbrooke Street to be dismantled after the Games. and the Olympic Park to the southeast The second design, submitted by a and the quiet, pastoral setting of the group of Montréal promoters, was for a Municipal Golf Course to the west. permanent village, a complex of four Olympic Village administration 19-story buildings constructed of rein- offices were integrated into the lower forced concrete and masonry. The floors of the buildings, as were those height of these buildings would allow for sports delegations, to allow close much of the site to be retained as exte- contact with all essential services. rior grounds and plans called for the The upper floors of the four complex to be turned into a permanent buildings served as living quarters for apartment village after the Games were athletes and team members, while the over. At the beginning of the summer noisier lower floors contained all public of 1974, after several months' study, and communal resources. Aside from this project was finally selected by the its design, it was this hierarchy of spa- City of Montréal. tial intimacy which gave Montréal's Two organizations were respon- Olympic Village its peculiar character. sible for the construction and prepara- IOC directives specified that male tion of the Olympic Village: the City of and female quarters must be kept sepa- Montréal, responsible for the building rate, but this barrier between the sexes itself; and COJO, for all temporary facil- was played down in Montréal. Tower A, ities for the Games. reserved for female athletes and team members, was connected with the other three towers (B, C and D) at the lower levels and with each floor of tower B via the exterior balconies. Restaurants, discotheques, cine- mas, sports information rooms, librar- ies, shops and other similar services could be found in the International Centre, located in a public school near the Olympic Village and transformed for the occasion. This prevented con- gestion of the Village itself and ensured a quiet atmosphere in the athletes' residences. Facilities installed in the resi- dences were of two types: permanent, such as building services designed for future use; and temporary, such as offices, cafeterias, furnishings and ath- letes' services provided by COJO and designed to be dismantled after the Games.

98 Towers C and D Towers A and B Occupancy scheme 1 Storage area 5 Olympic Village 2 Delegates' quarters administration and communal offices (Tower "A") services 6 Permanent 3 Kitchen and cafeteria apartments (Tower "A") 7 Ground level 4 Temporary dormitories

Levels

04

03 02

01

Center of End of Center of End of building building building building

99 Floor plan: level 05 Towers C and D Temporary dormitories

Floor plan: level 04 1 Storage area 5 Results distribution 9 Olympic Village 2 Delegates' quarters centre administration 3 Delegates' service 6 Security offices offices area 7 Pool 4 Competition inscrip- 8 Temporary tion room dormitories

Floor plan: level 03 Towers A and B 1 Kitchen 2 Service counters 3 Dining room

2

Floor plan: level 02 Towers A and B 1 Delegates' quarters 5 Cafeteria administra- 2 Delegates' service tion offices area 6 Medical centre 3 Identity control point 7 Equipment storage 4 Personnel dressing rooms rooms and cafeteria

100 Construction The structures were built in a In October, 1974, COJO found record time of eight months. By the itself responsible for both permanent end of August 1975, 77,000 cubic and temporary installations in the metres of concrete had been poured Olympic Village. Sod was turned at the and 6,000 tons of reinforcing steel had end of November and in March 1975, been installed. a firm of management consultants was Work proceeded so rapidly that by engaged to supervise work at the site. January, 1976, COJO was able to begin Conventional methods of construc- installing Olympic facilities in several tion were used in the erection of the sections of the buildings. All construc- four residences. The structures them- tion deadlines were met and the Village selves were of reinforced concrete was ready for occupancy on schedule: poured on the spot; the exterior walls June 23, 1976. were of brick and the 18,300 m of par- apets, balconies and terraces were of prefabricated concrete.

101 Exterior Installations The Olympic Village was sur- manding view of the Olympic Park, the Upon arrival from the airport, rounded by paved walkways winding St. Lawrence River, and members of the various delegations through the landscaped terrain of the the skyscrapers of downtown Montréal. were directed to the validation centre old Municipal Golf Course. In a clear- At the foot of the pyramids on the located in a large red and white tent ing, a small wooden stage covered by a southeast side lay Place des Nations, behind the Village. After their baggage red and white canvas shell was erected where athletes were welcomed to the was inspected and credentials verified, for theatrical performances. Lamps site by the mayor of the Village prior to they were then driven to the residences were installed at regular points along the raising of their national flag. in small motorized vehicles. the walkways and in the clearings. For security reasons, the entire Information booths and snackbars Olympic Village was surrounded by a were placed at major circulation points, high wire fence. At the access points, and a terrace cafe with flower boxes the identities of all those entering and and outdoor furniture was installed on leaving the site were checked. a prefabricated concrete plaza in the heart of the complex. The wide terraces surrounding the apartments on each level offered a com-

102 103 Plan of type 2 permanent apartment, equipped with 12 beds Nearly 72% of the athletes were assigned to such apartments.

Special furniture was designed and built for the athletes' apartments. This functional, compact furni- ture was made of maple with pressed wood pan- elling covered with a plastic laminate.

104 Olympic Installations most elaborate, largely because of the level, some 1,225 square metres of The upper floors of the four resi- electrical and mechanical equipment space were set aside for Olympic dential towers contained 980 per- required. A large number of stoves, Village administration offices. manent apartment units accounting for sinks, ovens, deep fryers, refrigerators Level 05 of towers C and D was some 60 percent of the total interior and other similar appliances had to be also converted into athletes' dormi- space. During the Games, each unit installed for the Games and removed tories. was equipped to house from five to afterwards. The space occupied by For more than a month, this "city fourteen occupants; after the Games, these facilities was designed to house within a city," as the Olympic Village they were to be converted into apart- some of the community services — came to be known, was a veritable hive ments of one to three bedrooms. shops, cinemas, common rooms, of activity. During the busiest period, More than 6,500 athletes and offices — for the 3,200-inhabitant around July 20, the Village accom- team members, or 72 percent of the Vil- apartment complex. modated nearly 9,000 people, who lage's entire population, were assigned Part of level 04 of towers A and B found there all the facilities they to 12-person units. was transformed into dormitories for needed for rest, relaxation and Though all available space in each athletes who could not be accom- entertainment. apartment was used to accommodate modated in the permanent apartment athletes during the Games, it was pos- units. At the extreme north end of this sible to detect provisions made for future kitchens. Washrooms, too, were installed on a semi-permanent basis. Because pipes and fittings, ventilation ducts and electrical circuits were already in place, it would be a relatively simple matter to complete these facil- ities once the Games were over. During the Games, each athlete was provided with a bed, a chest for personal belongings, a clothing rack and a lamp. Sturdy and attractive, this furniture was constructed especially for the Olympics and was both functional and compact. In towers A and B, the lower base- ment (level 01), designed as a parking garage, served as a storage area during the Games. The floor immediately above this (level 02), also destined to be a garage, contained general quar- ters for a number of the visiting delega- tions, the Olympic Village medical centre, the cafeteria administration offices, maintenance personnel dress- ing rooms and communal services. All temporary quarters were enclosed by half-walls equipped with mechanical and electrical conduits. Lighting fixtures were suspended from the ceilings. The kitchens were located on the ground floor (level 03) of towers A and B, as was the cafeteria with its 12 counters and accommodations for up to 3,000 diners. Of the temporary installations in the Olympic Village, the kitchens and cafeteria were by far the

105 International Centre, Olympic Village

As early as 1974, COJO was seek- After June 4, all furniture and ing ways to make the most use of build- equipment was removed from rooms ings and spaces within the immediate allocated for use during the Games, rep- vicinity of the Olympic Village, then resenting roughly half the total floor already under construction. area of the building. One such building was L 'École A company specializing in commer- Marguerite-de-Lajemmerais, a second- cial exhibitions was retained for much ary school accommodating some 1,000 of the work. The ground floor bouti- girls located only a few paces from the ques, however, were installed at the future village. In December of 1973, cost of the concessionaires. COJO approached the Montréal Very few major alterations had to Catholic School Commission (MCSC) be made to the structure itself. The with a view to including the building lighting and communications systems in the main Olympic site as an Interna- were improved, but the principal effort tional Centre, where athletes could was devoted to decor: the conservative, relax or meet with journalists and visi- pastel walls of the classrooms were tors in an informal atmosphere. repainted in a variety of bright, lively The six-story building has a central hues; carpets were laid on many of the core containing classrooms and admin- floors; and new stylish furniture was istration offices. Four wings extend installed in each of the redecorated from the core, one consisting entirely rooms. Certain locations, such as the of offices and the others containing music rooms and salons, were fur- various laboratories and rooms for nished with cushions rather than chairs. specialized instruction, an auditorium, Signs were designed in bold, a small gymnasium and a cafeteria. futuristic patterns and shapes and the The building, which normally stood walls of the school were decorated with empty for most of the summer holiday giant graphics and drawings. On sev- period, was capable of housing all the eral floors, halls were converted into services planned for the International art galleries, and a sophisticated light- Centre. These included a reception area ing system contributed to the effect of and lounges for the press and other multi-dimensional space. visitors to the Olympic Village. Recre- In the International Centre, a multi- ational and cultural facilities for the tude of activities, ranging from tran- athletes included cinemas, disco- scendental meditation to table tennis, theques, boutiques, an indoor sports was brought together under a single and tennis area, music rooms and danc- roof. But the centre was intended ing and lecture halls. primarily to serve as a meeting place None of this was accomplished, for competitors, a place for sharing however, without some difficulty. The experiences and meeting new friends. school year did not officially terminate An exceptional effort, therefore, was until the latter part of June, and made to create a pleasant atmosphere although the MCSC agreed to vacate at the site. the premises by June 4, there still Outside the building, a terrace café remained the problem of completing was installed on the side facing the all major work in little more than a athletes' residence. Here, athletes daily month. With this in mind, certain alter- enjoyed a variety of entertainment — ations were initiated as early as May 1, folk dancing, music, mime — per- 1976, and all painting was done at formed on a wooden stage erected on night, so as not to interfere with stu- the lawn. From here, they had direct dents' schedules. access to their residence and surround- ing grounds, which, together with the centre, constituted the international zone of the Olympic Village. One problem was that the zone was divided by a boulevard which ran between the centre and the residential area. At first it was felt that either a tunnel would have to be dug beneath the street or a footbridge erected over it. The problem was finally solved by simply closing the street to traffic. By the beginning of July, 1976, the centre was ready to receive the first foreign delegations and the thousands of athletes, officials and journalists who came to Montréal for the Games of the XXI Olympiad.

106 Site location 1 Olympic Stadium 2 Olympic Pool 3 Olympic Velodrome 4 Maurice Richard Arena 5 Pierre Charbonneau Centre 6 Olympic Village 7 International Centre

107 Site plan 1 International Centre 5 Access control point 2 Bus parking 6 Terrace café 3 Reserved parking 7 Outdoor stage 4 Reception area

Space utilization 1 Canada Post Office 5 Recording studio 3rd floor 3rd floor 2 Telecommunications 6 Lobby centre Basement 3rd floor 7 Restaurant 3 Office of Le Village Basement (Olympic Village 8 Boutiques daily newspaper) 1st floor 3rd floor 9 Discotheque 4 Administration 1st floor offices 2nd floor

108 109

Copyright, © 2004, Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles

Notes on the digitized version of the Official Report of the Games of the XXIst Olympiad Montréal 1976 (Volume 2)

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