This sculptural ensemble, situated in the heart of Montréal, is formed of three towers and a grouping of culverts straddled by seven small bridges. These architectural and landscaping elements are integrated with Place Émilie-Gamelin in a composition that refers to aspects of the city’s landscape, including buildings, the mountain, the plains, and water. The sculptures represent downtown’s skyscrapers, whereas the streams evoke the underground rivers that flow naturally from Mount Royal to the St. Lawrence.

In accordance with the vocation of an urban park, which is to insert natural elements into the operational and rational framework of the city, the artwork offers a synthesis of antithetical elements. Between mineral and vegetable, between nature and culture, the artwork harmonizes the topographic, architectural, and cultural specificities of the site. As Charney himself noted, “The register of the visible is materialized in juxtaposition.”

In 1990, the Ville de Montréal announced the creation of an “urban animation centre,” Place Émilie-Gamelin. The site and Charney’s artwork were then produced jointly and for the same purpose: to reflect the Montréal landscape.