Habitat '67 - interesting brutalist residential architecture in Montreal

[TheOingoBoingoBandit]

http://data.greatbuildings.com/gbc/images/cid_2891685.jpg


More information here...


http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Habitat_67.html (http://)



and more about brutalism here...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalism (http://)

[RafflesCity]

Thats a cool looking one :)

We have quite a few similar looking buildings in Singapore...actually, one of them is also called Habitat and was directly inspired by the Montreal one!

[RafflesCity]

Here it is...its called Habitat One

http://img219.exs.cx/img219/3393/habitat17ye.jpg

[hkskyline]

I don't particularly like the location of Habitat 67. It's in the middle of nowhere. Although it's by the river, it's a long walk to downtown and the the journey to the Metro stop is not walkable in the winter. On the plus side, at least the casino is nearby.

[Ashok]

Habitat '67 is really cool

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Ilovemtl2/IMG_1923.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Ilovemtl2/IMG_1922.jpg

[Mike]

I like it very much.

[hkskyline]

http://www.globalphotos.org/montreal/20050521/IMG_0375.jpg

[car-zg]

i dont like it, idea was ok but finalization is bad, especially colour. It looks like its from Gaza

[Taller, Better]

^^ I agree with that statement today, but when it was new it was exciting. I don't
think it has stood the test of time very well, though.

[Hogtown]

^^ I agree with that statement today, but when it was new it was exciting. I don't
think it has stood the test of time very well, though.

functionally or aestheticaly, its falling apart

ironic that when it was built it was envisioned as a solution to the affordable housing problem, and now its been turned into expensive apartments...sign of the times?

[Taller, Better]

One of the biggest problems is that it is a triumph of form over function. All these little boxes are completely exposed to the subzero cold in the winter; especially the ones with the exposed bottoms. In a climate like Montréal's it makes absolutely no sense. The floors are freezingly cold on the interior. .

[Penhorn]

I'd live there!

[samsonyuen]

I really like these apartments. The ones by Olympic Stadium (that look like pyramids) are cool too!

[TopperCity]

very unique!

[PuroTequila]

I really like the concept, the contrast...look very nice

[m@rco]

Some examples based on this concept of boxes by Michel Andrault and Pierre Parat. Also called "maison gradin jardin" (step garden house). It's not as brutal as Habitat 67. ;)

http://www.architecturerhonealpes.com/patrimoine/pages/image.php?table_concerne=image_statique&imagezz=img&idf=42&monid=idim
http://www.architecturerhonealpes.com/patrimoine/pages/image_zoom.php?table_concerne=image_statique&imagezz=zoom&idf=40&monid=idim

Creteil, 1970 (near Paris):
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/CreteilLogAnPa.jpg

Marne la Vallee, 1972 (near Paris):
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/ChpsLogPyramidesAnPa.jpg

Evry, 1971-1976 (near Paris):
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/BondLogVilleroysAnPa.jpg
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/BondLogTerrassesAnPa.jpg
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/EvryLogGalantsCourtsAnPa.jpg
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/EvryLogEuropeAnPa.jpg
http://www.villes-nouvelles.equipement.gouv.fr/base/fiches/img/ev_ev1_pyrmid_va_photo_01.gif

Fontenay sous Bois, 1975 (near Paris):
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/FontenaysLogRabelaisAnPa.jpg
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/IDF/FontenaysLogPressoirAnPa.jpg

Talence, 1976 (near Bordeaux):
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/Bor/TalencResTerrAnPa.jpg

Meylan, 1977 (near Grenoble):
http://www.architecturerhonealpes.com/patrimoine/image.php3?idf=124&imagezz=image&nom_table=localisation&id_table=id_loc
http://www.architecturerhonealpes.com/patrimoine/pages/image.php?table_concerne=image_statique&imagezz=img&idf=38&monid=idim

Tour Totem, 1978 in Paris:
http://archiguide.free.fr/PH/FRA/Par/P15TotemAnPa.jpg


In France in 1975, 5 000 of these flats had been built.

[samsonyuen]

I don't like those ^ as much. They're not as radical. I also don't like the white as much.

[kamilo rxn]

i like them they lok amazing

[Cliff]

I did a case study on this before, really interesting building!

[will.exe]

We could probably start a whole thread on this, but what ever happened to the idea of Montreal being the thriving, progressive global city that the Olympics and Expo 67 billed it as?

[hkskyline]

Expo 67 was a success, but the 76 Olympics were a financial disaster. Montreal was Canada's premier city until the 1980s when the independence movement enticed many businesses to move to Toronto.

[will.exe]

^^ interesting...so the independence movement ironically took an economic toll on MTL...

[TheOingoBoingoBandit]

Free Trade Wharf near the London Docklands is not indentical to Habitat '67, but has some visual similarities.


http://www.geocities.com/theboingobandit/FreeTradeWharf-001.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/theboingobandit/FreeTradeWharf-002.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/theboingobandit/FreeTradeWharf-003.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/theboingobandit/FreeTradeWharf-004.JPG

http://www.geocities.com/theboingobandit/FreeTradeWharf-005.JPG

[BrizzyChris]

The Rocks in Sydney has modular apartments similar to those too.

[tvdxer]

Those fall into the "kind of cool looking but not beautiful" category.

[el_bebiduncho]

I just love it, amazing design, but, I wouldn't live in there :D

[Artemis]

Habitat '67 is really cool

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Ilovemtl2/IMG_1923.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Ilovemtl2/IMG_1922.jpg

..but what about the actual state of this structure today? still occupied?

[Taller, Better]

Yes, it is still habited, and there have been problems with cold floors in the wintertime for units that jut out. I guess it is one of those structures you either love or hate! It was very ground breaking when it was new..... and I can respect it for that fact.

[ChrisDVD]

A little mistake that montreal made turned out in favor for Toronto, that's all. Loi 101 (Bill 101) and the separatist movenment made Montréal lost it's global seat. I think it is sad, but, o well, we can't change history. But in recent years, Montréal has been re-rising. I guess its a good sign.

I think Habitat '67 looks lonely. Perhaps having a few taller simmilar looking buildings will make the area look better. More big trees too.

[isaidso]

i dont like it, idea was ok but finalization is bad, especially colour. It looks like its from Gaza

You're right. It does look like Gaza except these units are occupied by very wealthy people. I like Habitat, but it's too far away from everything. If Montreal hadn't suffered severe decline after 1976 this area might look very different today.

Montreal really did squander it's place in the world. When you walk around the city, you really sense the dominance this city once had in North America. Sad...at least it's showing signs of a rebirth.

[Taller, Better]

I have mixed feelings about this building. Intellectually, I understand and admire how groundbreaking it was when it was new, and I wish I liked it better now, but somehow every time I look at it is just strikes me as... a series of souless grey bunkers. Regardless of how expensive the units are now, I would not be at all interested in living in this complex.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Ilovemtl2/IMG_1922.jpg

[isaidso]

I wouldn't either, but the units are really quite impressive. Have you seen some of them inside?

[Taller, Better]

Never been.. in fact have never gone across to see them close up. They are very daunting looking across the river.

[isaidso]

I somewhat expected them to be an experiment gone wrong like a British Council Flat, but was pleasantly surprised to see how expensive they looked up close. Fom a distance, they look like they will get worse, the closer you get.

Fittingly, it does seem to have that white elephant potential though. Montreal is good at building these mammoth hulking concrete mega projects. I like that about Montreal architecture though. Brutal, imposing, heavy, etc. I suppose I am drawn to it because I find so much else around me so wishy washy, fragile, or timid.

I keep imagining some new home owner stumbling home in a drunken state breaking into the wrong condo 10 times before settling on a nice bush to sleep next to. I suppose the residents figure out their way around fairly quickly.

:cheers:

[TheOingoBoingoBandit]

On London's southbank next to Kings Reach Tower (which you can see poking out behind the building) this residential block is a very subtle version of Habitat'67 and Free Trade Wharf's disjointed style.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1233/1124180707_71349bd784_o.jpg


Is there an official name for this type of architecture?

[Vancouverite]

Is there an official name for this type of architecture?

Regrettable

[Gary_A_Hill]

One of the biggest problems is that it is a triumph of form over function. All these little boxes are completely exposed to the subzero cold in the winter; especially the ones with the exposed bottoms. In a climate like Montréal's it makes absolutely no sense. The floors are freezingly cold on the interior. .

Interesting observation. Probably its being located in Montreal is just an accident of timing and location. Safdie (an Israeli relocated to Canada) developed the idea as a student, and Expo '67 gave him an opportunity to build it. I doubt if it was developed for Montreal specifically. It's surprising to me that it has survived.