As Portland’s cement industry bloomed at the turn of the 1900s and architects became increasingly tired of conventional materials, Montreal became something of a playground for concrete experimentation.
France Vanlaethum, emeritus professor of architecture at the University of Montreal’s School of Design unfolds the city’s love of liquid stone in the Blue Crow Media’s latest architecture map.
Vanlaethum leaves no concrete block left unturned, highlighting the most daring architects to operate within the city between 1913 and 1986. From Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 – the instantly recognisable model community on the Marc-Drouin Quay – to Roger Taillibert’s monolithic Olympic Stadium, constructs of all shapes and sizes are brought into the fold.
Photography by architectural photographer Raphaël Thibodeau accompanies Supergroup Studios’ minimalist map design, emphasising the raw nature of the material with cold washed-out imagery. Teasing shots of the Église Saint-Maurice-de-Duvernay, Silo No. 5 and the futurist Verdun Station inspire city locals and visitors alike to discover every site featured between Angringnon and Nouveau-Rosement.
A total of 56 buildings are featured with construction dates, associated firms and locations, creating a comprehensive guide to the city’s brutalist architectural landscape. Concrete Montreal Map / Carte Montréal Béton is the 20th architecture-themed city map published by Blue Crow Media, following recent chartings of Los Angeles, Boston and Berlin. For fans of Australian concrete architecture, Concrete Melbourne Map is out later this summer. §
