A revolutionary housing scheme built from prefabricated concrete modules to celebrate Canada’s centennial.
This extraordinary housing complex beside the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, Canada, began life as a master’s thesis by the Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie (1938–). Safdie’s academic advisor at McGill University later asked him to develop his plans for the forthcoming Expo 67, the world’s fair being held to celebrate Canada’s centennial as an independent nation.
Linked modules.
Habitat 67 reaches up to 12 stories in height. It consists of 354 identical prefabricated concrete boxes arranged in various combinations to make 146 residences, each made up of one to eight linked boxes. The initial models of the project were built using LEGO® bricks in order to visualize how the finished building would look in three dimensions. Originally built as low-cost housing, Habitat has become a highly desirable residence. However, it failed to give rise to similar prefabricated buildings elsewhere, as its designer originally intended, nor did it revolutionize affordable housing for the masses.
Habitat 67 is an iconic apartment complex that was built for Expo 67, an international exhibition that took place in Montreal between April and October 1967. One of the rare structures remaining from that expo is this experimental living space. The best time to view Habitat is around sunset because the light of the setting sun will make your photos memorable.
Very interesting architecture.
It is worth a visit if and only if you are an architect.
We couldn't enter the property when we visited here. Due to Covid19, they apparently suspended the visiting tour.
It's just a funky modernistic-type building, that's it. Dunno why tourists get overblown with this. Being a local there isn't anything wow-ing about it whatsoever. It's also hella overpriced to live in considering it's not in the city city part of town.