McGill guts heritage houses on Pine Avenue
McGill University somehow got permission to gut several row houses on Pine Avenue which were “designed by the Maxwell brothers, Edward and William Sutherland Maxwell, who were among the most influential architects in Canada.” They’re going to tack the façades onto a new building for a sports facility.
“Row houses” is a reductive way to describe the buildings being desecrated, but that’s what she wrote.
Meezly 09:32 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
Couldn’t help but wonder if they used some of that $21M donation to bribe officials…
Paul 13:38 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
Not an architect, but I don’t think keeping 40% of the building can be labeled as ‘facadism’. Regardless, they received approvals through the formal process which is apparently not an easy thing to do.
bob 18:25 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I wonder how much there is to save inside them. I was in one of them once and it was not exactly preserved to begin with, renovated into offices decades ago. And I’ve been in many other McGill and Concordia buildings that were posh homes once, and long ago renovated into institutional spaces. There are a few notable exceptions, mainly the super-posh ones. But most of what was worth preserving has been gone for a long time. In any case, all most people will ever see of these buildings, if anything, is the facade.
Kate 22:00 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
Things like stained glass panels and woodwork were probably made off with long ago, but the interior structure of those houses seems a shame to lose. McGill will do what McGill wants to do, though.
Paul 08:59 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
“McGill will do what McGill wants to do, though.”
Not exactly. McGill will do what the Ministry of Culture and the City of Montreal approve. I imagine if they had free reign, it would be a very different project.