The station structure was designed by Blais & Bélanger and features many works of art, including the large sculpture Pic et Pelle by artist Germain Bergeron. Monk also features many balconies that overlook the main station below, however they have been closed for the safety of the visually impaired.
Germain Bergeron considered many different ideas for the public art for this station. His first concept was to create a series of flying saucers that were suspended from the roof of the station, and were to move with the wind generated by passing trains. However, this was deemed too dangerous by authorities, and the idea was cancelled.
The current two giant statues of workers constructing the Metro were to have been accompanied by a third, representing a foreman, but this idea was judged superfluous and scrapped.
Origin of the name
The station is named for boulevard Monk, itself named to honour the Monk family. It is unsure which member is being honoured.[5] It could be Sir James Monk (1745-1826), a prosecutor who served on Quebec's vice admiralty court from 1778 to 1788 and subsequently became Montreal's chief justice from 1793 to 1820. Alternatively, the boulevard and the station could be named for Frederick D. Monk, an attorney who along with Joseph-Ulric Émard purchased land belonging to the Davidson family in order to develop it, the area became Ville-Émard.[6][7]
