André Blouin fonds
1933-1996
Fonds
The André Blouin fonds, 1933-1996, documents the professional career of architect André Blouin. Materials in this fonds are extensive, ranging from André Blouin’s training at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris to his involvement in various professional associations and his work as principal of the firm, André Blouin, architecte et urbaniste (and successive firms). The fonds also contains personal materials relating to the everyday administration of Blouin’s firm as well as personal items belonging to Blouin and his son Patrick Blouin.
The designs of over 80 built projects are represented in this fonds, which include residential, commercial, government, educational, religious, medical, and transport buildings. The fonds holds a number of drawings, consisting of sketches and preliminary studies, working and detail drawings, shop, consultant, and presentation drawings. The photographs present architectural models, architectural drawings, construction sites, and provide the interior, exterior and aerial views of completed buildings. Personal photographs of André Blouin and his family at various events are also included in this fonds. Presentation panels display architectural drawings and photographs from various perspectives.
Textual documentation consists of correspondence, meeting minutes, agendas, offer of services, financial statements, annual reports, business cards, calculations, bills, receipts, scrapbooks, notebooks, press clippings, manuscript notes, conference notes, research on art and architecture, periodicals, publications and articles by Blouin. Personal documents comprise of correspondence, diplomas, certificates, post cards, class notes, invitations and souvenirs.
Four reels of film included in this fonds contain footage for the Comedie Canadienne Theatre project.
This fonds has not yet been arranged
André Blouin (1920-) was born in Nantes, France. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and received a diploma in architecture in 1944. During his studies, he worked at the atelier of Paul Bigot; shortly after Bigot passed away, Blouin joined the atelier of Auguste Perret. From 1945-1951, he worked for the Atelier de Reconstruction de Havre in France; under Perret’s direction, Blouin was responsible for supervising the construction of several built projects during the reconstruction of Havre.
In 1951, Blouin was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Delano-Aldrick Bursary, enabling him to travel and study in the United States, Mexico and Canada. One year later, Blouin moved to Canada and was invited by Edouard Fiset and Lucien Manguy to teach architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Montréal; for the next thirteen years, Blouin was in charge of teaching the school’s thesis class.
In 1954, Blouin was admitted to the Association des architectes de la province de Québec and became a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. In that same year, he established the firm André Blouin, architecte et urbaniste in Montréal. From 1966-1975, Blouin worked in partnership with his son Patrick Blouin as Blouin et Blouin, architectes; from 1975-1984, the firm operated as Blouin et Blouin et Associés with newly appointed associates Paul Faucher, Gilles Aubertin, and André Brodeur. When Patrick Blouin passed away in 1984, the agency was re-established as Blouin et Associés, architectes; in that same year, Eric Gauthier and Jacques Plante joined Blouin’s firm. In 1987, the firm was renamed l’Atelier Blouin et associés, architectes.
Throughout his career, Blouin participated in various architectural competitions: the Plateau Beaubourg, Paris (1971); the Centre des Congrès, Montréal (1978); the Teheran National Library, Iran (1978); the Palais de Justice, Québec (1979); and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Montréal (1984). Blouin has also received numerous awards and honourable mentions for his built projects – these awards include Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Awards (1967;1968) for Expo 67’s Place des Nations and Train Stations; Québec Order of Architects’ Awards of Distinction (1979; 1980; 1984) for the Pointe de Moulin Historical Park in Ile Perrot, the Mirabel Airport Control Tower, and the Dakar-Fann Hospital in Senegal; and a Québec Order of Architects’ Award of Excellence (1983) for the Fort Chambly Museum in Chambly, Québec.
Blouin and his firm were also involved in the design and restoration of the following Montréal projects: the Comedie Canadienne Theatre (1958), the urban renewal of Dorchester Boulevard (1958 and 1959), the Notre-Dame d'Anjou Church (1962), Expo 67’s French Pavilion (1967), the Phillippe Pinel Institute (1968), Complexe Desjardins (1972-1975), 500 Sherbrooke Street West (1984) and Park Metro Station (1989).
The André Blouin fonds was donated to the Canadian Centre for Architecture on November 14, 1990 by André Blouin. Subsequent additions were made in 1991, 1993, 1994 1998, 2008, and 2009. In 2015, Christophe Blouin made an additional donation to the fonds.
Montréal Island of Montréal Québec Canada
When citing the collection as a whole, use the following citation:
André Blouin fonds
Collection Centre Canadien d'Architecture/
Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montréal
When citing specific collection material, please refer to the object’s specific credit line.
French , English
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