BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL
15 Oct 2025
Like the fictive wall in front of the stage serving as a separation between the actors and the audience, The Fourth Wall art installation in Montreal, Canada, plays on curiosity and turns the public square into an interactive stage.
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An immersive and monumental installation takes over Place Claude-Léveillée, in Laval’s Montmorency district. The Fourth Wall, the third landmark of the Métamorphoses créatives initiative, offers a unique experience that blurs the lines between art, architecture and public space. Designed to spark curiosity, this dynamic structure invites passersby to become active participants in a collective, year-round experience.
Launched in 2019 by the City of Laval, the Métamorphoses créatives initiative aims to transform the Montmorency district into a major cultural hub by integrating art, architecture and design into urban development.
Taking inspiration from both theatre and the street performance, NÓS presents an installation that references the famous “fourth wall” that traditionally separates performers from the audience. Here, that wall becomes an open, curved and dynamic structure designed to stimulate curiosity, encourage interaction and transform the public square into a living stage.
Designed as a modular structure with interchangeable components, the system consists of steel masts and curved rails from which translucent orange vinyl strips are suspended. Commonly used in commercial and industrial settings for their cold-shielding properties, these strips also serve as effective barriers against noise and dust, particularly relevant in areas near upcoming construction sites.
Conceived as a space for gathering, observation and spontaneous expression, the installation serves as a true artistic and community meeting point, rooted in the heart of a transforming neighborhood. Its modular system offers a sustainable solution, adaptable to the site’s evolving needs or reusable for future installations.
Within this immersive structure, raw-wood urban furniture completes the layout: wooden beams painted bright orange at their base are transformed into warm, convivial seats. The orange color, part of Métamorphoses créatives' visual identity, reinforces the association between culture, nature and urban transformation.
This striking curtain filters the space, reflects the movements of passersby, hosts public performances and transforms the site through shifting perspectives and evolving uses. This dynamic structure sparks curiosity, nurtures creativity and invites the public to become active participants in a shared, year-round experience.
The Fourth Wall is a temporary yet symbolic artwork: it accompanies the renewal of downtown Laval, while offering a vibrant public space for the next 4 to 6 years where everyone can be either a spectator or a performer in a collective scene open to the imagination.
THE FOURTH WALL
LOCATION Place Claude-Léveillée, Montreal, CA
ARCHITECT NÓS
PHOTOGRAPHY Raphaël Thibodeau
