See Inside the Spectacular Canadian Landmark: Habitat 67

As Canada entered the swinging ’60s, young architects began pushing the boundaries of modern design. The immense Habitat 67 was conceived for Expo 67, the world’s fair that was set to take place in Montreal in 1967.

The complex was designed by the world-renowned Moshe Safdie, who at the time was a 23-year-old architectural student at McGill University.

Safdie was approached by his thesis advisor, Sandy van Ginkel, to develop a master plan for Expo 67. Ottawa’s federal cabinet minister and Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson approved the plans and gave Safdie the blessing of the Expo 67 Director of Installations and was awarded the project despite his relative youth and inexperience.

The magnificent Habitat 67 is comprised of 354 identical, prefabricated concrete cubes, each roughly 600 square feet, arranged in various combinations, reaching up to 12 stories in height. Safdie actually planned out this creation using LEGO blocks.

Cubes are combined to create homes and all together the 354 units create 146 residences of varying sizes and configurations, each formed from one to eight linked concrete units.

Habitat 67 is completely unique, with each unit specifically tailored to the design specifications of its owner.

The complex was considered an engineering feat at its time. It took over three years to construct and cost a whopping $13.5 million, which is equivalent to roughly $96.7 million today.

Some units include solariums and sun rooms, giving the owner a tranquil, peaceful space and providing this home’s owner with an unobstructed view of gardens, trees and the St. Lawrence River harbor.

In this residence, two units make up the kitchen and the living room, with a solarium attached.

Upper units become the bedrooms. This homeowner is lucky to have a solarium attached to each of their three upper units.

The extraordinary Habitat 67 complex is now 50 years old and is a recognized heritage property by Montreal and the Government of Quebec.

Habitat 67 has been called an architectural wonder and is widely considered one of the most recognizable and significant buildings in Canada. It speaks to a time in history when a major cultural and aesthetic shift took place in our country.