Architecture. the most interesting buildings in the world. "Habitat 67"
At first glance, this 12-story residential complex looks like a complex chaotic mass of uniform elements reminiscent of Brazilian favelas. But if we look closely, it has a regular structure and consists of 354 monolithic reinforced concrete modules arranged in different variations. The name Habitat emphasizes the project's uniqueness. Each cell is both an apartment and an autonomous residence with its own garden. Due to the unusual and innovative solution, the residential complex was recognized as an architectural monument.
The project was prepared and executed for the Expo-67 world exhibition by the famous architect Moshe Safdi. For the author, it was an experiment aimed at realizing the idea of an economical modular comfortable apartment that combines the advantages of suburban and urban life. A conveyor was arranged for the production of fully equipped ready-made modules, which were lifted by a crane and placed in the design position. According to the author, such a decision was supposed to reduce production costs and implement the idea of affordable housing, but due to the small volume of construction (initially it was planned to build 1000 residential cells), the project turned out to be expensive. The mobile layout of the modules made it possible to retrofit the roof terraces of the apartments below, thereby integrating the attributes of suburban life into the urban space, as well as providing excellent lighting and ventilation of the spaces. The building has 3 elevator shafts and an advanced network of bridges.
Like most Brutalist buildings, the building is cast in concrete. "Habitat 67" has been declared a cultural heritage by the Quebec government.
The building is appreciated not only by apartment owners, who paid impressive sums for the right to own it, but also by lovers of parkour (French: parkour, parcours, parcours du combattant - subculture of space, overcoming obstacles (mainly in urban environments)) who recognized it. the best training and competition platform.
Building name: Habitat 67
Author / Architect: Moshe Safdi
Year of construction: 1967
Place of construction: Montreal, Canada
Style: Brutalism