Feb 20 2012
Today I took a walk down to Habitat 67, a housing complex designed by Israeli/Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. It was originally conceived as his master’s thesis in architecture at McGill University and then built as a pavilion for Expo 67, the World’s Fair held in Montreal from April to October 1967. It is located on Avenue Pierre-Dupuy on the Marc-Drouin Quay next to the Saint Lawrence River.
Habitat 67
Habitat 67 comprises 354 identical, prefabricated concrete forms arranged in various combinations, reaching up to 12 stories in height. The complex originally contained 158 apartments, but several apartments have since been joined to create larger units, reducing the total number to 148. Each unit is connected to at least one private terrace, which can range from approximately 225 to 1,000 square feet in size.
Habitat 67
Habitat 67
Habitat 67
Habitat 67
After taking the above shots, I wandered down to Cité du Havre Parc which provides a great view of downtown Montreal and the Pont Jacques Cartier.
Habitat 67 view from road leading to the Cité du Havre Parc
View of Montreal skyline beneath the Pont de la Concorde
Beneath the Pont de la Concorde
View of Montreal skyline
Jacques Cartier bridge from the Cité du Havre Parc
Jacques Cartier bridge from the Cité du Havre Parc
Montreal skyline from the Cité du Havre ParcView of Montreal skyline
The Pont de la Concorde leads to Ile Sainte Hèlène and Ile Notre Dame. I decided to continue over the bridge and catch the metro from the Jean Drapeau station on Ile Sainte Hélène. During the crossing I grabbed a few final shots.
Pont Victoria from the Pont de la Concorde
Montreal skyline from Pont de la Concorde
Montreal skyline from Pont de la Concorde
I will certainly redo this walk again in the future but in the evening to get some sunset and night shots of the downtown skyline.
Click on any image below to view in gallery format.
Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.
– Martin