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Expo 67: Montreal Welcomes the World
Aerial photo of Expo 67 from Library and Archives Canada
Living in Habitat '67
Broadcast Date: Oct. 25, 1967
Expo's Habitat '67 is among the strangest housing developments Montreal has ever seen. Moshe Safdie's creation — a four-block-long row of 158 prefabricated rectangular houses stacked seemingly randomly in a pyramid — is both highly praised and harshly criticized by architects, planners and politicians.
Mr. and Mrs. Robin Randall have a unique perspective on Habitat — they've lived inside this strange tourist attraction for six months. They tell CBC Radio what Habitat living is like.
Living in Habitat '67
• Habitat's apartments were made from 354 boxes or "modules." Apartments were built from between one and eight boxes, depending on the size. The original plans called for 1,000 units.
• Safdie was commissioned to design other Habitats around the world: New York (1967), Puerto Rico (1968), Israel (1969), Rochester (1971) and Tehran (1976). None was ever completed.
• Habitat is the only Expo 67 building still being used for its original purpose.
Living in Habitat '67
Medium: Radio
Program: Expodition
Broadcast Date: Oct. 25, 1967
Guest(s): Robin Randall
Announcer: Jim Robertson
Host: Bob McGregor
Duration: 8:20
Last updated:
Aug. 14, 2009
Living in Habitat '67.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Aug. 14, 2009.
[Page consulted on Feb. 12, 2012.]