Olympic Stadium, in Montreal’s east end, will be getting a new and improved funicular. The facility is undergoing a renovation process over the next ten years, that will begin with the vehicle the brings people up and down the tower.
Opened in 1987, long after the 1976 Summer Olympics, the funicular gives visitors a unique view of the island city in the St. Lawrence River. These days, however, it’s a tired experience, and needs a revamp.
The Régie des installations olympiques (RIO) launched a call for tenders and is looking to Toronto for inpiration. The CN Tower Edgewalk, which opened in 2011, gives thrill-seeking tourists the opportunity to get out onto the rim of the tower. It helped boost revenue for the landmark by 10 per cent.
Michel Labrecque, president of RIO, explained the vision: “The funicular needs to be a different experience going up and down it,” He told reporters. “We could use modern technology to incorporate projections, narration and more.”
According to Labrecque, other funiculars around the world are incorporating creative technologies to take their experience beyond just having tourists ascend and descend. He cited creative approaches in South Africa, Spain.
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