During the beautification of Paris in the nineteenth century, Frenchman Jean-Charles Alphand created simple, rudimentary street furniture, a sort of archetype for today’s street furniture. Inspired by his work, the Esplanade Collection seamlessly integrates the rustic look that Alphand created with the refinement made possible by today’s technologies. Equiparc made use of the durability of Ipe wood and electrostatic paint to manufacture a robust series appropriate for public use, and of the technology of laser cutting to create elegant lines and a quality of execution normally associated with residential furniture. The furniture in the Esplanade Collection, composed entirely of recycled and/or recyclable materials, also includes a waste receptacle and a bicycle stand.

The Esplanade Collection, combining the concerns and realities of street furniture, offers a new perspective by modernizing, personalizing, and humanizing the experience of walkers, cyclists, and all other users.

Equiparc
For almost 30 years, Equiparc has been the Quebec leader in the manufacturing of high-end site furnishings. The firm has unsurpassed expertise in the execution of customized products and has been involved in a number of prestigious projects, including the Quartier des spectacles in Montréal, Place Bourget in Joliette, Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain in Quebec City, and the Quartier International de Montréal (QIM).

Beyond its many large-scale projects, Equiparc has distinguished itself for its concern with developing and encouraging creative talent in Quebec. Since it was founded, Equiparc has been one of the rare manufacturers to collaborate with both well-known and emerging industrial designers in the province to design unique, innovative street furniture. For example, the designer Michel Dallaire designed the Internationale collection for the Quartier International de Montréal. This series has won a number of design awards on the local and international scenes. For its 25th anniversary, Equiparc called upon designer Marc Boudreau to design the modular 25 Collection that adapts to different spaces. Boudreau also designed the recent Plaza Collection, which, among other things, revisits the classic form of the picnic table.

Specifications:

Product or collection name:
Collection Esplanade
Materials:

• Bench: Hot-dip galvanized steel and Ipe wood
  
• Waste receptacle: Aluminum, steel, and Ipe wood
  
• Bike stand: Aluminum, hot-dip galvanized steel
  
Finishing: Structure painted with polyester powder
Colour: Variety
Options:

• Bench: armrest
  
• Waste receptacle: wood or steel cover, recycling, ashtray
  

Sizes: see specifications
Design: Daoust Lestage inc. architecture design urbain.
Product launch date: 2010
Locations of use: Place Bourget, Joliette
Photographer: Equiparc, Marc Cramer and
Alain Laforest

Product numbers:
EP 1990 Bench with back
EP 1991 Bench without back
EP 3990 Waste receptacle
EP 5990 Bike stand