THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 1 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 2

The Essence of Place

moshe safdie is an Israeli-Canadian archi- tect, poet, philosopher, and author. His designs can be found anywhere in the world, starting with the famous habitat ‘67 in Mon- treal. His vision has not wavered since his early days at Mcgill University in , and he is still contracted today to create some of the largest and most dynamic buildings. His work includes legendary buildings like the yad veshem museum in , the marina bay sands in , and ter- minal 1 of the Toronto Pearson Airport. His focus on open spaces and high density liv- ing spaces started with habitat ‘67 and has taken him all the way to China, undertaking huge endeavors to build the living spaces of the future.

This book is a look at his history and work, a reflection of his style, and a tribue to a tal- ented visionary and his dream of bringing people together. 3 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 4

A poem by Moshe Safdie, 2002 5 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 6

“ Who knows, maybe I am simply a talented architect? ” - Moshe Safdie, Israeli architecture From the with eastern promise Desert to the Tundra In 1970 Safdie established a Jerusalem branch office, commencing an intense involve- ment with the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He was responsible for major segments of the Moshe Safdie was born in , Israel, in restoration of the Old City and the reconstruction of the new center, linking the Old and 1938. Educated in Israel during the formative New Cities. Over the years, his involvement expanded to include the new city of Modi’in, years of the state, he moved to Canada with the new holocaust museum, the rabin memorial center, and the national his family as a teenager, and eventually grad- (ben gurion) airport. During this period, Safdie also became involved in the developing uated from McGill University in 1961 with a world, working in , , Singapore, and the Canadian arctic. degree in architecture. After apprenticing with Louis I. Kahn in Philadelphia, he returned In 1978, following teaching appointments at Yale, McGill, and Ben Gurion Universities, to , taking charge of the master plan Safdie relocated his residence and principal office to when he became Director for the 1967 World’s Fair (Expo ‘67); he also of the Urban Design Program and the Ian Woodner Professor of Architecture and Urban realized an adaptation of his graduation the- Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In the following decades, he was sis as habitat ‘67, the central feature of the responsible for the design of six of Canada’s principal public institutions, including the exhibition. Habitat, which opened in 1967, quebec museum of civilization, the national gallery of canada, and the public soon became one of the lasting 20th-century library - all but one of the six projects having been won in international and national icons of utopian urban living. competitions.

Yad Veshem Holocaust History Museum

Jerusalem, Israel 2005 7 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 8

Montreal, Quebec, 1967

Habitat ‘67

Global Citizen

Since then, Safdie has been awarded numerous major commissions in the United States, Canada, Israel and . These include several museums, such as the telfair museum of art in Savannah, GA, the peabody essex museum in Salem, MA, the skirball cultural center in Los Angeles, CA, and crystal bridges museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR; educational facilities such as elea- nor roosevelt College at the University of California in San Diego; civic buildings such as the springfield, ma federal courthouse and the united states institute of peace headquarters in Washington, D.C.; performing arts centers such as the kaufmann center for the performing arts in Kansas City, MO; and the salt lake city main public library. In addition to major works of urbanism, Safdie’s work includes two airports: lester b. pearson international airport in Toronto (in a joint venture with Adamson Associates and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), and the ben gurion international airport in Israel. 9 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 10 MOSHE SAFDIE’S First Principles

Shaping the Public Realm One of the most important goals in architecture is to create meaningful, vital, and inclusive National Gallery of Canada social spaces. As architects, we are responsible for shaping not only a project’s program, but , Ontario, Canada 1988 also its larger civic role of enabling and enriching the community.

Architecture with a Purpose Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Architecture grows out of a vision of the way it can affect the lives of the individuals for whom Kansas City, Missouri, buildings and public spaces are created. as architects, we are responsible for designing United States 2011 buildings that address human needs and aspirations. For example - a school, above all else, must be a wonderful place for learning. Every element of each design must be an expression of the life intended in a building.

Responding to the Essence of Place

The strength of our practice lies in the geographic and cultural diversity in which we work. We have created buildings in communities around the world. Our designs are specific to place and culture-they are inspired by, and woven into, the historic, cultural, and social fabric of their site. Our solutions evolve in response to the context that defines a place - local and regional characteristics of landscape, climate, cultural heritage, and contemporary life. celebrating the unique character of each place, we create buildings that belong. F11 irstMOSHE SAFDIE PrinciplesTHE ESSENCE OF PLACE 12 Khalsa Heritage Centre

Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India 2011

Architecture that is Buildable

Architecture is not about building the impossible, it is about building what names sense for a specific program and for a particular setting. it is about allowing the specific qualities of materials and the processes of construction to inform the design. the notion of “inherent build ability” central to our work. we find elegant solutions that reflect the designing hand of nature. We are innovative architects and builders who use resources intelligently and carefully. we employ a full range of building tools and cutting-edge technologies to ensure efficiency and ease of construction.

Building Responsibly

As architects, we have a responsibility to respond to the issues of energy conservation, of ecology, and of renewable materials. we have to use resources efficiently while we advance our clients’ goals. Sustainability, at its core, implies a way of building that is sensitive to local geography and culture. this approach not only addresses important ecological goals, it also enhances the sustainability of a building’s use and value to its owners. whenever possiblee, we choose to work with indigenous building materials and use local labor. we always aim to preserve resources and construct the most with the least. Works • 1967 at World’s Fair, Montreal, Quebec, Canada • 1980 Robina Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia [6] • 1981 Coldspring New Town, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Humanizing the Megascale • 1987 Musée de la Civilisation, Quebec City, Canada • 1988 The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario • 1988 Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem, Israel In the 20th century, urban development has been shaped by factors such as proliferation • 1989 City plan for Modi’in, Israel of the automobile, greater population densities, and the advent of high-rise buildings made • 1989 The Esplanade condominium complex in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA possible by new technology. • 1991 The Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Architecture must cope with rapid urban growth, congestion, and resisting the • 1992 The Class of 1959 Chapel, , Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA dehumanization of the environment that is too often a result. As architects and urban • 1993 Mamilla Centre and David’s Village, Jerusalem, Israel designers, we work towards effective urban strategies to address these challenges, • 1994 Former Ottawa City Hall, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada mitigate the dehumanizing effect of mega-scale, and enhance the quality of lie in our • 1995 Vancouver Library Square, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada cities and neighbourhoods. • 1995 The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, British Columbia 13 MOSHE SAFDIE THE ESSENCE OF PLACE 14

• 2000 The Exploration Place Science Museum in Wichita, Kansas, USA • 2002 The campus of HebrewWorks College in Newton, Massachusetts, USA • 2003 Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, USA[7] • 2003 Main Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA • 2003 Eleanor Roosevelt College campus, UC San Diego, USA • 2003 Pantages Tower, Toronto, Canada • 2003 Corrour Lodge, Inverness-shire, Scotland • 2004 Airside building of Terminal 3, Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel • 2005 Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum, Jerusalem, Israel • 2006 Telfair Museum of Art, Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Georgia, USA • 2007 Terminal 1, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Canada, with Skidmore Owings Merrill • 2008 United States Federal Courthouse, District of Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA • 2008 Headquarters for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Washington, D.C., USA • 2009 Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh[8] • 2009 Mamilla Mall, Jerusalem, Israel • 2010 Yitzhak Rabin Center, Tel Aviv, Israel • 2011 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore’s second integrated resort and casino • 2011 United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., USA • 2011 Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City, Missouri, USA • 2011 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, USA • 2011 Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India • 2012 Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA • 2012 Altair (Building),Colombo,Sri lanka

Sources 1. McGill University, Moshe Safdie Biography - http://cac.mcgill.ca/safdie/biography/ biopage.php

2. Huffington Post - The Peoples Architect - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-

teicholz/the-peoples-architect_b_3968581.html

3. Dwell - A Look Back at Habitat 67 - http://www.dwell.com/context/article/look-back-

habitat-67-moshe-safdie

4. Haaretz - Israeli Architecture with a Eastern Promise - http://www.haaretz.com/

weekend/week-s-end/israeli-architecture-with-eastern-promise-1.410815

5. Safdie Architects - http://www.msafdie.com/ M

“Architecture is not about building the

impossible, which we can do if we have

enough money and enough tools and enough

computers, it is about building what is

appropriate and about attaining beauty

through such an approach. I describe this

premise as “inherent buildability and I

believe it is central to what I do.”

- Moshe Safdie, from lecture Megascale,

Order and Complexity held in Emmertal,

Germany on July 27, 2008 York/Sheridan Program In Design

Student: Matthew Velez Course: Typography 2 Project 2 Instructor: Adam Antoszek-Rallo mv Date: November, 2013