Which Canadian city is home to the Brutalist housing complex Habitat 67? It is Montreal.
Habitat 67 stands at Cité du Havre on the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec. Architect Moshe Safdie designed the complex for Expo 67, the world’s fair held in Montreal in 1967. The project began as Safdie’s master’s thesis at McGill University before being developed into a full-scale experimental housing complex.
Its striking form consists of prefabricated reinforced-concrete modules stacked into terraces. The arrangement was intended to combine the density of apartment living with qualities associated with individual houses, including private outdoor space, sunlight, and views. Habitat 67 is often discussed alongside Brutalism and Metabolism because of its exposed concrete and modular, megastructural approach.
The name is sometimes mistaken for a Toronto landmark because Safdie later worked extensively in Canada and the complex is frequently featured in national architecture coverage. Habitat 67 is firmly a Montreal site, however, and its connection to Expo 67 explains the number in its name. The complex remains one of the city’s best-known architectural landmarks.