Moshe Safdie

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Moshe Safdie

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Moshe Safdie , 1938-, Israeli-Canadian architect, b. Haifa. He grew up in Israel, moved to Canada with his family at 15, studied architecture at McGill Univ. and with Louis Kahn , and later opened an office in Montreal. Safdie attracted early acclaim as the designer of Montreal's revolutionary "Habitat" for Expo 67, a housing system based on prefabricated modules stacked around prefabricated or site-built utility cores (see prefabrication ). Safdie designed Habitats for San Juan (1968-72), Tehran (1977), and other cities, but none except the Montreal complex was ever built. His many later commissions include the Museum of Civilization, Quebec City (1984); National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1984); Vancouver Library Square (1995); Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles (1996); and Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mass (2003). In Jerusalem, where he also maintains an office, his buildings include the Bronfman Amphitheater (1982), Yad Vashem Children's Holocaust Memorial (1987), and Hebrew Union College (1989). Safdie is the author of Beyond Habitat (1970, repr. 1987) and several other books.

Bibliography: See W. Kohn et al., ed., Moshe Safdie (1996); I. Z. Murray et al., ed., Moshe Safdie: Buildings and Projects, 1967-1992 (1996).

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Safdie, Moshe

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture | 2000 | | © A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Safdie, Moshe (1938– ). Israeli-Canadian architect. He worked (1962–3) with L. I. Kahn before setting up his own practice in Montréal, Canada, in 1964. He established his reputation with the ‘Habitat’ housing-scheme at Expo 67, Montréal, in which the parts were given expression and composed like a pile of building-blocks to form the whole. The antithesis of the Corbusian insistence on slab-like forms, it drew on Mediterranean vernacular architecture to create a new paradigmatic megastructure built of prefabricated parts. His subsequent works also explored vernacular elements (e.g. the Habitat for San Juan, Puerto Rico (1968–72)). He designed (with Parkin Associates) the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (1993–8). Among his other works may be mentioned the Hebrew Union College Campus (1972–8); the Children's Holocaust Memorial (1976–87) and Holocaust Transport Memorial (1994—featur-ing a railway-wagon used to carry Jews to their deaths), both at Vad Vashem, and the Mamilla Centre (1975–96), all in Jerusalem; the Museum of Civilization, Québec, Canada (1981–6); an extension to the Montréal Museum (1987–92); the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA (1985–95); the Rosovsky Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (1991–4); the Library Square and Federal Tower, Vancouver, Canada (1992–5); and the new town of Modi, Israel (from 1989). Among his publications may be mentioned Beyond Habitat (1970), For Everyone a Garden (1974), Form and Purpose (1982), and Jerusalem: The Future of the Past (1989).

Bibliography

Drew (1972);
Kalman (1994);
Heathcote (1999);
Kalman (1994);
Kohn (ed.) (1996);
Zantovska Mu (ed.) (1996)

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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Safdie, Moshe." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Oxford University Press. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 16 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Safdie, Moshe." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Oxford University Press. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (November 16, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-SafdieMoshe.html

JAMES STEVENS CURL. "Safdie, Moshe." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Oxford University Press. 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-SafdieMoshe.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article The box rebellion: Habitat '67, Montreal, 1967 Moshe Safdie, Faia. (end quote).(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: Residential Architect; 8/1/2002
Free Article House show.(Home front: tips and trends from the world of residential design)(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: Residential Architect; 7/1/2003
Free Article A New Lifestyle in the Old City: Mamilla Hotel opens in Jerusalem.
Business Wire; 7/16/2009

Facts and information from other sites

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Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 1/4/1996; ; 700+ words ; ...two major areas of Jerusalem. That would be Moshe Safdie, 58, born in Haifa, educated in Canada...major architectural company. When you hire Moshe Safdie Associates, you get Moshe Safdie buildings. There are no committee-designed...
HISTORY VIA THE GREENWAY MOSHE SAFDIE'S $89M MUSEUM PLAN UNVEILED
Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 5/27/2004; ; 700+ words ; ...pieces of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the $89 million Boston Museum Project proposal...of Boston being on the Greenway here," said Safdie, principal of Moshe Safdie and Associates Inc., in an interview in his...
MOSHE SAFDIE TO PRESENT LATEST RENAISSANCE SQUARE DESIGN
News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News; 10/2/2006; 461 words ; ...Brooks announced that Moshe Safdie, Design Architect for...are thrilled to welcome Moshe Safdie back to our community...for our community." Moshe's presentation will...The workshop following Safdie's presentation will...
Moshe Safdie To Design New U.S. Institute Of Peace Headquarters
Newspaper article from: U.S. Newswire; 12/18/2001; 700+ words ; ...selection of the architectural firm of Moshe Safdie and Associates to design the Institute...We are certain, however, that Safdie's experience, reputation, and...architectural and urban design practice of Moshe Safdie and Associates -- located in Somerville...
Architect Moshe Safdie to visit Bangladesh April 6-8.
News Wire article from: UNB - United News of Bangladesh; 4/4/2006; 611 words ; ...Internationally acclaimed Canadian architect Moshe Safdie will visit Bangladesh April 6-8...University for Women Support Foundation. Safdie attracted wide attention when at...of the Harvard School of Design, Safdie worked as an associate of Louis I...
The box rebellion: Habitat '67, Montreal, 1967 Moshe Safdie, Faia. (end quote).(Brief Article)
Magazine article from: Residential Architect; 8/1/2002; ; 617 words ; "originality in itself cannot be the criterion for measuring excellence in architecture." --moshe safdie Moshe Safdie was a 25-year-old architecture student at McGill University when he designed an experimental apartment complex...
For the six million: Moshe Safdie's redesign of Jerusalem's Yad Vashem memorial campus presents the Holocaust narrative in a much more personal light.(MUSEUM DESIGN)
Magazine article from: Building Design & Construction; 4/1/2005; ; 700+ words ; ...letters. Casting the design Led by Moshe Safdie Architects, the design team was...that shall not be cut off." Safdie's solution was to design the historic...descends at 5%," according to Safdie. "But then it opens up again and...
Super collider architect Safdie. (Moshe Safdie Associates wins architectural contract for the Superconducting Super Collider)
Magazine article from: Israel Business Today; 2/5/1993; 667 words ; Haiffa-born Moshe Safdie will be the master planner for the world's single largest scientific...visiting physicists from around the world can reside at any given time. Moshe Safdie and Associates will develop the architectural guidelines for all...

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