Arrivals
Arrivals features gifts to the collection received in honour of Phyllis Lambert’s eightieth birthday. It includes original prints by acclaimed photographers and artists experimenting with the language of photography: Dieter Appelt, Robert Burley, Edward Burtynsky, Giovanni Chiaramonte, Thomas Florschuetz, John Gossage, Guido Guidi, Gordon Matta-Clark (donated by Jane(...)
Hall cases
24 January 2008 to 23 March 2008
Arrivals
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Arrivals features gifts to the collection received in honour of Phyllis Lambert’s eightieth birthday. It includes original prints by acclaimed photographers and artists experimenting with the language of photography: Dieter Appelt, Robert Burley, Edward Burtynsky, Giovanni Chiaramonte, Thomas Florschuetz, John Gossage, Guido Guidi, Gordon Matta-Clark (donated by Jane(...)
Hall cases
articles
Still the Housing Question
27 July 2026
Still the Housing Question
Joaquim Moreno reviews one of the episodes of the Open University’s course A305, History of Architecture and Design 1890–1939
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Series
Projects
AP144.S2
Description:
Series documents Cedric Price's projects from his early work in the late 1950s to work dating from the time he founded his own practice in 1960 until 2000. Material includes numerous competition entries, planning and building projects, transportation-related projects, exhibitions, conceptual projects, furniture and interior designs, and monuments, follies, and decorations. Some projects also reflect his teaching, research, lecture and publication activities. Price also worked on several competition juries (see projects Musique, Elephant). Many of Cedric Price's projects in the series are unexecuted. Significant unrealized projects from the 1960s and 1970s include Fun Palace (1961-1974), Potteries Thinkbelt (1963-1967), Oxford Corner House (1965-1966), and Generator (1976-1980). Significant built projects from the same period include the New Aviary (1960-1966), his first major realized project (with Lord Snowdon and Frank Newby), and Inter-Action Centre (1971-1979). Other realized projects include an office building (BTDB Computer, 1968-1973) and restaurant (Blackpool Project, 1971-1975). Planning projects from the 1960s and 1970s include Potteries Thinkbelt, Detroit Think Grid (1969-1971) and Rice University's design charette, Atom (1967). In the 1980s and 1990s, Cedric Price worked on several building proposals including greenhouses (Serre, Serre (2)), museums, galleries, and pavilions (Trafalgar, Pertpavs, Snake), a railway station (Strate (2)), a cultural centre (Tiff), houses (Perthut, Castel), a bus station (Walsall), an aviary (CP Aviary) and office buildings (Domain, Berlin). Planning projects from the same time include parks and cultural complexes, (Parc, South Bank), urban areas, (Strate, Stratton, IFPRI, Haven, Mills), university campuses (Frankfurt, Unibad, Bedford), and rural areas (Stark, Arkage). Transportation-related projects include railways (Strate, Control, Rink), roadways (Stratton) and pedestrian links (Magnet, Halmag, South Bank). Only a few of his projects from that period were executed and those include the renovation projects Congress and SAS 29; a mobile market stall design for Westminster City Council (Westal) for which prototypes were built; a coffee cup design (Crowbar); and building conversion projects Gatard and Juke. Exhibition projects in the series include some devoted to Cedric Price's works (AA Exhibition, Aedes, AFX, Afella), some designed by him (Strike, Food for the Future, Topolski/Waterloo, Ashmole, Mean, AFX), as well as projects designed for exhibition (Citlin, Castel). The series also contains self-financed research and client-less projects, which form a significant part of Cedric Price's practice. Undertaken in anticipation of future clients or new planning needs, they include research into air structures and lightweight enclosures as well as integrated construction and transportation solutions (Trucksafe Air Portable Dock Ahoy), and housing research. South Bank, Magnet, and Duck Land represent a few of the client-less projects. The material in this series documents Cedric Price's work in the United Kingdom, in particular England (the Greater London area, and other areas) and Scotland, Germany, France, Austria, Australia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States and other locations such as Canada, Nigeria, and Norway. Major clients include J. Lyons & Co. (Oxford Corner House), David Keddie (Two Tree Island, Southend Roof), Howard Gilman (Generator), British Railways (Strate and Strate (2), and others), the McAlpine family , particularly Alistair McAlpine, and their company Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd. (McAppy, Perthut, Trafalgar, Pertpavs, Ashmole, Perth, Obeliq, McVance); Établissement Public du Parc de la Villette (Parc, Serre, Serre (2), Musique) and the Canadian Centre for Architecture (IFPRI, Mean). He collaborated with several architects and engineers during the course of his career, his closest association being with engineer Frank Newby and quantity surveyor Douglas Smith. Some of his other collaborators include engineer Max Fordham (Strate (2), Tiff, Berlin), engineering firms Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners (Stratton, Rink, Control), and Sir Frederick Snow & Partners (South Bank), cybernetician Gordon Pask (Kawasaki/Japnet), architectural firm YRM/Yorke Rosenberg Mardall (Unibad), and architect Richard Rogers (Marman). He also collaborated with members of Archigram on the Trondheim Competition, (1972-1974), and with John and Julia Frazer who provided the computer modelling for Generator. David Price, Cedric Price's brother was the model maker for several projects. The series contains conceptual drawings, design development drawings, reference drawings and maps, presentation drawings (particularly for competitions), and working drawings. A significant amount of textual records are included, especially for projects involving a large amount of research or publicity (Air Structures, Lightweight Enclosures, South Bank, CP Aviary, Stratton), for executed projects, and for the larger unrealized projects like Fun Palace and Generator. Also includes photographic materials of project sites and models. Some models included in the series are made from durable materials (wood, metal, plastic), while others are in-office constructions made out of paper, cardboard and Fome-Cor (TM). Of particular note are the 11 models for Magnet, and a full-size prototype of a market stall for Westal. Series also contains publication layouts, including material for the "Cedric Price Supplement", 'Architectural Design' vols. 40- 42 (1970-1972). Changes in office practice are noted around 1971, evident in the Blackpool Project and later, including the adoption of the metric system, and the creation of working and detail drawings on A4 size paper and filed with textual records (e.g. approximately 300 such drawings are included in the textual records for Blackpool Project). At the same time fewer preamble drawings that relate to site sensing, progress and life-cycle graphs and tables are created for the projects (a common feature from the 1960s), although project progress tables are still used. Of particular interest is material in the Early Work and Miscellaneous Records file (AP144.S2.D1) that relates to office work methods and programmes.
1903-2003, predominant 1960-2000
Projects
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AP144.S2
Description:
Series documents Cedric Price's projects from his early work in the late 1950s to work dating from the time he founded his own practice in 1960 until 2000. Material includes numerous competition entries, planning and building projects, transportation-related projects, exhibitions, conceptual projects, furniture and interior designs, and monuments, follies, and decorations. Some projects also reflect his teaching, research, lecture and publication activities. Price also worked on several competition juries (see projects Musique, Elephant). Many of Cedric Price's projects in the series are unexecuted. Significant unrealized projects from the 1960s and 1970s include Fun Palace (1961-1974), Potteries Thinkbelt (1963-1967), Oxford Corner House (1965-1966), and Generator (1976-1980). Significant built projects from the same period include the New Aviary (1960-1966), his first major realized project (with Lord Snowdon and Frank Newby), and Inter-Action Centre (1971-1979). Other realized projects include an office building (BTDB Computer, 1968-1973) and restaurant (Blackpool Project, 1971-1975). Planning projects from the 1960s and 1970s include Potteries Thinkbelt, Detroit Think Grid (1969-1971) and Rice University's design charette, Atom (1967). In the 1980s and 1990s, Cedric Price worked on several building proposals including greenhouses (Serre, Serre (2)), museums, galleries, and pavilions (Trafalgar, Pertpavs, Snake), a railway station (Strate (2)), a cultural centre (Tiff), houses (Perthut, Castel), a bus station (Walsall), an aviary (CP Aviary) and office buildings (Domain, Berlin). Planning projects from the same time include parks and cultural complexes, (Parc, South Bank), urban areas, (Strate, Stratton, IFPRI, Haven, Mills), university campuses (Frankfurt, Unibad, Bedford), and rural areas (Stark, Arkage). Transportation-related projects include railways (Strate, Control, Rink), roadways (Stratton) and pedestrian links (Magnet, Halmag, South Bank). Only a few of his projects from that period were executed and those include the renovation projects Congress and SAS 29; a mobile market stall design for Westminster City Council (Westal) for which prototypes were built; a coffee cup design (Crowbar); and building conversion projects Gatard and Juke. Exhibition projects in the series include some devoted to Cedric Price's works (AA Exhibition, Aedes, AFX, Afella), some designed by him (Strike, Food for the Future, Topolski/Waterloo, Ashmole, Mean, AFX), as well as projects designed for exhibition (Citlin, Castel). The series also contains self-financed research and client-less projects, which form a significant part of Cedric Price's practice. Undertaken in anticipation of future clients or new planning needs, they include research into air structures and lightweight enclosures as well as integrated construction and transportation solutions (Trucksafe Air Portable Dock Ahoy), and housing research. South Bank, Magnet, and Duck Land represent a few of the client-less projects. The material in this series documents Cedric Price's work in the United Kingdom, in particular England (the Greater London area, and other areas) and Scotland, Germany, France, Austria, Australia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States and other locations such as Canada, Nigeria, and Norway. Major clients include J. Lyons & Co. (Oxford Corner House), David Keddie (Two Tree Island, Southend Roof), Howard Gilman (Generator), British Railways (Strate and Strate (2), and others), the McAlpine family , particularly Alistair McAlpine, and their company Sir Robert McAlpine & Sons Ltd. (McAppy, Perthut, Trafalgar, Pertpavs, Ashmole, Perth, Obeliq, McVance); Établissement Public du Parc de la Villette (Parc, Serre, Serre (2), Musique) and the Canadian Centre for Architecture (IFPRI, Mean). He collaborated with several architects and engineers during the course of his career, his closest association being with engineer Frank Newby and quantity surveyor Douglas Smith. Some of his other collaborators include engineer Max Fordham (Strate (2), Tiff, Berlin), engineering firms Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners (Stratton, Rink, Control), and Sir Frederick Snow & Partners (South Bank), cybernetician Gordon Pask (Kawasaki/Japnet), architectural firm YRM/Yorke Rosenberg Mardall (Unibad), and architect Richard Rogers (Marman). He also collaborated with members of Archigram on the Trondheim Competition, (1972-1974), and with John and Julia Frazer who provided the computer modelling for Generator. David Price, Cedric Price's brother was the model maker for several projects. The series contains conceptual drawings, design development drawings, reference drawings and maps, presentation drawings (particularly for competitions), and working drawings. A significant amount of textual records are included, especially for projects involving a large amount of research or publicity (Air Structures, Lightweight Enclosures, South Bank, CP Aviary, Stratton), for executed projects, and for the larger unrealized projects like Fun Palace and Generator. Also includes photographic materials of project sites and models. Some models included in the series are made from durable materials (wood, metal, plastic), while others are in-office constructions made out of paper, cardboard and Fome-Cor (TM). Of particular note are the 11 models for Magnet, and a full-size prototype of a market stall for Westal. Series also contains publication layouts, including material for the "Cedric Price Supplement", 'Architectural Design' vols. 40- 42 (1970-1972). Changes in office practice are noted around 1971, evident in the Blackpool Project and later, including the adoption of the metric system, and the creation of working and detail drawings on A4 size paper and filed with textual records (e.g. approximately 300 such drawings are included in the textual records for Blackpool Project). At the same time fewer preamble drawings that relate to site sensing, progress and life-cycle graphs and tables are created for the projects (a common feature from the 1960s), although project progress tables are still used. Of particular interest is material in the Early Work and Miscellaneous Records file (AP144.S2.D1) that relates to office work methods and programmes.
Series
1903-2003, predominant 1960-2000
Commissioned by the CCA, for three years, French photographer Serge Hambourg recorded over four hundred historic mills and factories throughout New England. By capturing their surroundings as well as by focusing on the stark beauty of their interiors and exteriors, the images trace the evolution of this building type. The photographs included in the exhibition range from(...)
Octagonal gallery ante-room
6 December 1989 to 11 February 1990
Mills and Factories of New England: Photographs by Serge Hambourg
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Commissioned by the CCA, for three years, French photographer Serge Hambourg recorded over four hundred historic mills and factories throughout New England. By capturing their surroundings as well as by focusing on the stark beauty of their interiors and exteriors, the images trace the evolution of this building type. The photographs included in the exhibition range from(...)
Octagonal gallery ante-room
textual records
ARCH256925
Description:
15 files - District 4-5 Plan from Borough of North York (1971); Orion Financial Group correspondence; blank forms; technical literature; research on concert halls/theatres; research on earth-sheltered architecture; letter from AEA expressing interest in submitting projects to Architectural Biennale Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria (1987); correspondence concerning computers; project status reports; 4 miscellaneous folders of correspondence concerning: talk with Dr. Hollenberg, office policies and memos, CCA exhibition catalogue (1987), requests for information, magazine clippings, minutes, Canadian Who's Who, King Abdulaziz University, Mundipharma, University of Arizona, Etisalat floor patterns, Town of Markham invoice, requests, press clippings, letters to AE, inter-office memos.
1971, 1987-1988
District 4-5 Plan from Borough of North York
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ARCH256925
Description:
15 files - District 4-5 Plan from Borough of North York (1971); Orion Financial Group correspondence; blank forms; technical literature; research on concert halls/theatres; research on earth-sheltered architecture; letter from AEA expressing interest in submitting projects to Architectural Biennale Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria (1987); correspondence concerning computers; project status reports; 4 miscellaneous folders of correspondence concerning: talk with Dr. Hollenberg, office policies and memos, CCA exhibition catalogue (1987), requests for information, magazine clippings, minutes, Canadian Who's Who, King Abdulaziz University, Mundipharma, University of Arizona, Etisalat floor patterns, Town of Markham invoice, requests, press clippings, letters to AE, inter-office memos.
textual records
1971, 1987-1988
In an age of unprecedented human impact on the planet, certain countries stand out for their privileged positions and the complexity of their relationships with the land. Stories about Canada closely follow the discovery and appropriation of vast and varied natural resources as well as changing ideas of the proper relationship between people and their environment.(...)
16 November 2016 to 9 April 2017
It’s All Happening So Fast
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In an age of unprecedented human impact on the planet, certain countries stand out for their privileged positions and the complexity of their relationships with the land. Stories about Canada closely follow the discovery and appropriation of vast and varied natural resources as well as changing ideas of the proper relationship between people and their environment.(...)
Inspired by the theme of travel, this exhibition presents the personal vision of four photographers—Clara Sipprell, Lida Moser, Laura Volkerding, and Tadashi Kawamata—who visited Québec between the 1920s and today. The artists from elsewhere turn their attention to architecture and its environment, offering a view of Québec society from the perspective of their own(...)
Octagonal gallery
10 May 1995 to 15 October 1995
Four Photographers Visit Québec: Sipprell, Moser, Volkerding, Kawamata
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Inspired by the theme of travel, this exhibition presents the personal vision of four photographers—Clara Sipprell, Lida Moser, Laura Volkerding, and Tadashi Kawamata—who visited Québec between the 1920s and today. The artists from elsewhere turn their attention to architecture and its environment, offering a view of Québec society from the perspective of their own(...)
Octagonal gallery
The exhibition focuses on one of Ernest Cormier’s masterworks—the Université de Montréal, built high on the northwest slope of Mount Royal between 1928 and 1943—and situates the Montréal architect and his work in the context of international thought where European and North American cultural and architectural ideas converged. The objects in the exhibition are drawn in(...)
Main galleries
2 May 1990 to 21 October 1990
Ernest Cormier and the Université de Montréal
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The exhibition focuses on one of Ernest Cormier’s masterworks—the Université de Montréal, built high on the northwest slope of Mount Royal between 1928 and 1943—and situates the Montréal architect and his work in the context of international thought where European and North American cultural and architectural ideas converged. The objects in the exhibition are drawn in(...)
Main galleries
Centring on Eadweard Muybridge’s panoramas, this exhibition examines the representations of San Francisco from 1850 to 1880, a period of phenomenal growth and development for the city. Contextualizing Muybridge’s work, the exhibition includes multi-panel daguerreotype panoramas, photographic panoramas (including sets of stereocards), photographic-view books and albums,(...)
Main galleries
31 March 1993 to 25 July 1993
Eadweard Muybridge and the Photographic Panorama of San Francisco, 1850-1880
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Description:
Centring on Eadweard Muybridge’s panoramas, this exhibition examines the representations of San Francisco from 1850 to 1880, a period of phenomenal growth and development for the city. Contextualizing Muybridge’s work, the exhibition includes multi-panel daguerreotype panoramas, photographic panoramas (including sets of stereocards), photographic-view books and albums,(...)
Main galleries