Designed by Daily Tous Les Jours to animate the Promenade des Artistes in Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, 21 Swings is an iconic interactive installation inviting the public to engage in a playful and musical experience. Installed beneath seven existing archways, the swings act as a giant collective instrument: each swing movement triggers a musical note, resulting in a harmonious melody when multiple participants play together. At nightfall, built-in lighting under the seats illuminates the installation.

Generique Design tackled multiple technical challenges to bring this ambitious vision to life—including mounting onto existing structures, discreetly integrating electronic and lighting components directly into the swing seats, all while staying within a tight budget. The studio handled industrial and mechanical design, technology integration, and supervised both fabrication and installation.

Since its debut in 2011, the work has become a cultural icon in Montreal, returning each spring to activate the public space. Winner of several international awards—including the UNESCO Creative Cities Design Grand Prize and the Interaction Design Awards (IxDA) Grand Prize—the installation has since been adapted into touring and permanent versions around the world.