BNP Tower & The Illuminated Crowd

Description:

• The BNP Tower is home to Raymond Mason's sculpture "The Illuminated Crowd." Affectionately known by locals as the Butter People, the polyester resin sculpture shows a crowd of life-size men, women and children gathered together.  Underneath is the inscription: "A crowd has gathered…the strong light casts shadows, and as light moves toward the back and diminishes, the mood degenerates; hooliganism, disorder and violence occur."
  
  The sculpture is one of the most photographed pieces of public art in Montreal and is also a popular gathering spot for locals who work in the nearby offices in the BNP glass towers looming over the sculpture at the base on McGill Avenue. a real touch of whimsy amidst the shadows of downtown. The building itself dates from 1983, when avenue was redone to be more pedestrian friendly. In 2009, the building the "Pérennité Les Affaires" Excellence Award from the Ordre des Arcitectes du Québec (AKA Order of Quebec Architects).
  
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