Montréal, June 15, 2022 ‒ The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Harrison Fun Studio and their partners are proud to present nrml bskt: mini basketball games played on a smart court with hoops that light up to guide the game.
Located between two buildings downtown, this installation is a great way to enhance the experience of workers returning to the office. The project is part of the Chamber’s ré·CRÉATIONMTL program, supported by the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation as part of the “I love working downtown” initiative.
“The Chamber is pleased to support the deployment of this ingenious and innovative basketball court right in the heart of downtown. It’s a great addition to our program of creative projects aimed at making downtown more appealing to workers. Our analyses show that workers want access to sports, culinary and cultural experiences as part of their return to the office. We’re therefore proud to participate in this project that combines design and technology to serve the sport. It shows that it’s possible to reimagine unused spaces, like a hotel pool, to create unique spots to socialize in Montréal,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
“The pandemic has disrupted everything: routines, social life, work and even physical activity. With so many indoor sports centres closed or less accessible, there was an evident need for a new outdoor space. This space uses technology to reinvent a well-known game. The baseline is: nrml bskt is nothing like normal basketball. (Hence the play on words.) It’s all about simple and fun games that we like to play over and over again. From the court’s location on an outdoor patio to the colourful custom-designed balls, we’ve thought of everything to immerse players into a universe that is out of the ordinary. We want this place to be somewhere people want to come back to again and again, where they can burn off energy, hang out, laugh and have fun,” said Francis Desrosiers, Founder and Creative Director of Harrison Fun Studio.
“The success of downtown Montréal lies in its diversity. Not only is it an academic, commercial and tourist hub, but it’s also a place to live. This new smart basketball court will make it easier for people to meet up and adopt healthy habits through sports, all while enhancing the range of activities available to residents and tourists in the area. I’m very proud that our government supports initiatives like this one, because they allow our city to stand out,” said Chantal Rouleau, Minister for Transport and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montréal Region.
“Over the past two years of the pandemic, we’ve continually sought new ways to reinvent ourselves, connect, network and have fun. The nrml bskt project, designed by Harrison Fun and made possible by the support of the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation and the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, ticks all those boxes. We’re extremely proud to have this—not so normal—basketball court at Delta Hotels Montreal by Marriott. We hope that this initiative will draw locals, downtown workers and customers to rediscover the joy of getting together to play as a group while marvelling at all that downtown Montréal has to offer,” said Chantal Riopel, General Manager, Delta Hotels Montreal by Marriott.
About nrml bskt
The nrml bskt court offers the following games on the Delta Hotels patio:
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The circuit: Score as many points as possible by following a course guided by illuminated baskets.
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The circuit +: Score as many points as possible in the allotted time per basket.
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The domination: During a competition between two teams, score points in the opposing team’s basket to change their colour and dominate the court.
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Downtown ball throwing: From the centre of the court, score as many points as possible in the allotted time per basket.
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The elimination: Shoot a basket in the allotted time to stay on the court and win the game.
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The classic nrml: Outsmart and block the opposing team to score points in your basket, just like in normal basketball.
Reserve your court here for free: http://nrmlbskt.ca/
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Location: Delta Hotels patio
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Address: 475 President-Kennedy Avenue, Montréal
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Hours: Every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., from June 15 to September 22
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Accessible to people with reduced mobility
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nrmlbskt/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nrmlbskt
About the “I love working downtown” initiative
“I love working downtown” is an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal carried out with support from the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation. Its objective is to accelerate the relaunch of downtown Montréal.
About Harrison Fun Studio
Harrison Fun is a Montréal-based creative studio navigating through graphic design, space design, digital content creation and production to create memorable moments. Obsessed with anything that’s striking, cost-effective and sustainable, Harrison Fun delivers high-quality projects with a distinctive aesthetic that never fail to make an impression. From liquor bottle label and installation design to photo and video shoot art direction, our team is specifically composed of talented production and design specialists to ensure flawless execution.
Since our inception five years ago, we’ve built a reputation for quirky and powerful projects, many of which have been recognized at the Communication Arts Design Competition and The Applied Arts Awards.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of over 8,000 members, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (“the Chamber”) is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their employees. For 200 years, it has acted on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of its Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Jean-Baptiste Portrait
Press Officer
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514-871-4000, ext. 4072
jbportrait@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
Follow the discussion: #ccmm