Montreal students turn Olympic Stadium's Kevlar roof into furniture

Concordia University students, led by designer Jeremy Petrus, have transformed Kevlar fabric from the Montreal Olympic Stadium's failed retractable roof into furniture, wearables, and decor for the O-cycle Project exhibition during Montreal Design Week. The stadium, built for the 1976 Olympics, has a notorious history of roof malfunctions; its current roof is a 1998 replacement. After commissioning a permanent hard-top roof, the Montréal Olympic Park organization called for reuse of the removed tarping. Petrus instructed students to use the dark exterior or white interior membrane as primary material. Pieces include an easy chair by Daphne Siracusa and Kamila Andersen using reused aluminum piping, a coffee table by Chista Topalian and Midleney Joseph with fabric folded to support a glass top, a table lamp with dimmer by Sabine Chateigner addressing seasonal depression, tent-like shades, planters with water-catching trays, a knee brace by Chloe Malin, and a rain-resistant bucket hat. The exhibition was held at Fonderie Darling, a historic industrial space, from April 29 to May 4, 2026.