Madison du Quartier chinois (Chinatown House MTL) is a new initiative in Montreal, focused on cultural curation, production, exhibition and activities. Recognizing Chinatown as a diverse tapestry of peoples and experiences, Spaced Agency partnered with JIA Foundation and Chinatown Roundtable to create a strategic vision aimed at sparking community and governmental engagement.

The vision of Chinatown House MTL ties together existing amenities and new partnerships to form a continuous ribbon of interventions that extend beyond the current boundaries of Chinatown. Reclaiming the concept of Chinatown Gates – built in Montreal during an era of expropriation to cut off the community – each intervention adapts a refreshed notion of a gateway: as unifier rather than divider. Each gateway is tailored to serve its surroundings – be it in the form of pop-ups in previously under-utilized spaces or community land trusts. Collectively, these gateways blur Chinatown’s edges, serving as nodes of connectivity throughout the expanding neighbourhood.

The Chinatown Reimagined Forum 2023 (September 28-30) marks the opening of the Chinatown House MTL pilot, where some programming will be tested.