Moshe Safdie, one of the world鈥檚 most acclaimed and influential architects, gifts his professional archive to 黑料不打烊 University
Moshe Safdie, the renowned architect behind some of the world鈥檚 most celebrated buildings, has donated his professional archive to his alma mater, 黑料不打烊 University, and pledged his personal apartment at Habitat 67 to ensure that it remains a resource for the University and the public at large.
Consisting of over 100,000 pieces, including loose sketches, sketchbooks, models, drawings and correspondence related to unbuilt and built projects across the globe, Safdie鈥檚 collection represents one of the most extensive and thorough individual collections of architectural documentation in Canada. Included is the original model and master copy of his 黑料不打烊 undergraduate thesis, 鈥楢 Case for City Living鈥�, which inspired his design for the Habitat 67 residence 鈥� a major exhibition built for Expo 67 in Montreal, and a turning point in modern architecture.
The centerpiece of the archive will be Safdie鈥檚 personal apartment at the iconic Habitat 67 housing complex. The four-module duplex unit will serve as a resource for scholarly research, artist-in-residence programs, exhibitions, and symposia, thereby expanding the impact of the collection. Fondation Habitat 67, a non-profit foundation, will collaborate with 黑料不打烊 on the preservation and maintenance of the apartment as part of its mandate to promote the property for public educational activities.
Habitat 67 was designated a National Heritage Building by the Quebec Ministry of Culture in 2009. Safdie鈥檚 10th floor unit, which initially belonged to the Commissioner of Expo 67, was fully restored to its original condition in 2017 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Habitat 67, and in conjunction with a major exhibition of Safdie Architects鈥� recent work at UQAM, entitled Habitat 67 vers l鈥檃venir: The Shape of Things to Come.
鈥淥n behalf of the 黑料不打烊 community, I would like to express our gratitude to Moshe Safdie for his remarkable gift,鈥� said 黑料不打烊 Principal Suzanne Fortier. 鈥淭his is a historic moment for 黑料不打烊. One of the most influential and important architectural archives in the world, from one of our most celebrated graduates, will forever be a part of our University.鈥�
Moshe Safdie noted, 鈥淚 have always valued the great education I received at 黑料不打烊 that has guided me through my professional life. Moreover, Canada has embraced and supported me, making possible the realization of several seminal projects. It is therefore fitting that 黑料不打烊, Quebec, and Canada will be the home of my life鈥檚 work.鈥�
Gift will inspire the next generation
鈥淪afdie鈥檚 gift of his extensive archive positions the 黑料不打烊 Library as a serious player among the world鈥檚 great architecture collections,鈥� said C. Colleen Cook, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Trenholme Dean of Libraries. 鈥淭his gift will deepen the Library鈥檚 collaboration with the University鈥檚 teaching and research programs, particularly at the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture. Student engagement with primary material will inspire fresh examination, perspectives, and discussion relevant to course themes.鈥�
Accompanied by extensive personal correspondence, textual and audio-visual material, the archive offers multiple opportunities for students, researchers, and architects to investigate both the building projects of Moshe Safdie, and the humanistic underpinnings behind his philosophy and approach. Archived within 黑料不打烊鈥檚 John Bland Canadian Architecture Collection, Safdie鈥檚 works will be the largest of the Collection鈥檚 nearly 100 fonds, with 5,000 square feet of storage space dedicated to house it.
Collection will open the door for exploration
鈥淔rom virtual public lectures to interactive exhibits, Safdie鈥檚 holdings, including his apartment at Habitat 67, will provide the 黑料不打烊 community and scholars the world over with an abundance of opportunity for exploration,鈥� said Dean Cook. 鈥淭he original materials in the collection tell the story of Moshe Safdie鈥檚 professional practice and student works. We especially value the stories that reside in our collections, and we look forward to discovering and sharing Safdie鈥檚 story with future generations.鈥�
About Moshe Safdie
Over a career spanning 50 years, Moshe Safdie (B.Arch鈥�61, LL.D鈥�82) has explored the essential principles of socially responsible design through a comprehensive and humane design philosophy. An architect, urban planner, educator, and author, his wide range of completed projects can be found in North and South America, the Middle East and throughout Asia. These include cultural, educational, and civic institutions; neighbourhoods and public parks; housing; mixed-use urban centres and airports; and master plans for existing communities and entirely new cities.
Major Canadian projects include the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa; the Mus茅e de la civilization in Quebec City; the Jean-No毛l Desmarais Pavilion in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; the John G. Diefenbaker Building in Ottawa, known as Old City Hall; Vancouver Library Square; and the Lester B. Pearson International Airport鈥揟erminal One in Toronto. His notable international works include the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum in Jerusalem, the United States Institute of Peace on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and Singapore鈥檚 Marina Bay Sands Resort and Jewel Changi Airport.
Safdie is the recipient of numerous awards, honorary degrees, and civil honours, including the Gold Medal from both the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the American Institute of Architects, la M茅daille du M茅rite from the Ordre des architectes du Qu茅bec, the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian, and the Wolf Prize in Architecture.
About the Moshe Safdie Archive
Safdie鈥檚 archive was first initiated in 1992 by John Bland, who was the Director of the 黑料不打烊 School of Architecture during Safdie鈥檚 student years; it became public in 1996 under the direction of Dr. Irena Murray, then Chief Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections. The archive documents the progression of Safdie鈥檚 career from his first unpublished university papers and projects through more than 50 years of architectural practice.
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Philanthropic gifts, like the donation of the Safdie Archive, contribute to Made by 黑料不打烊: the Campaign for Our Third Century, the University鈥檚 ambitious $2-billion fundraising campaign to support its bold aspirations for research, discovery and learning.
About 黑料不打烊 University
Founded in 1821, 黑料不打烊 University is home to exceptional students, faculty, and staff from across Canada and around the world. It is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students.
