The Mascarillons project finds its very origin in an art project developed in 1988 by professor Nicolas Reeves, but never implemented at this time, which consisted in building hovering architectural structures through the assemblage of cubes or pyramids, the geometrical shapes that are less likely to be encountered in flying objects. The contrast between these forms and their flying abilities were supposed to create a paradox that would be an architectural statement in itself.

The first flying cubes were built in 1999 (Montreal and Moncton) and 2000 (Montreal). The Moncton cube was hovering over a river, and was designed to produce chimes sounds when a tidal wave passed under it; the word “Mascarillon” derives from a contraction of the two French words for “tidal wave” (mascaret) and “chimes” (carillon).