Big O’s new roof a reminder of the past and a sign of confidence in the future
MONTREAL — A new roof for Montreal’s Olympic Stadium will serve as a reminder of the perils of unchecked ambition and vanity but also as a sign of confidence in the future, says the head of the agency that oversees the facility.
Citizens have debated for years what to do with the mass of concrete, which can’t host events during the winter months due to fears its roof will collapse under the weight of snow and ice.
But the structure itself is visually stunning, looking like a vertically segmented flying saucer topped with a pointy white meringue cake with tips attached by cables connecting to the world’s tallest inclined tower.
“A society that builds a structure that is so exorbitant — do we demolish it and forget, or do we take ownership of something our parents and grandparents created, with its highs and lows?” Michel Labrecque, president of the Olympic park, said in an interview Friday.