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Moshe Safdie

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Moshe Safdie
CCFRAICOAAFAIA
Safdie in 2017
Born(1938-07-14)July 14, 1938(age 85)
Haifa,British Mandate for Palestine(now Israel)
NationalityIsraeli, Canadian, American[1]
Alma materMcGill School of Architecture
Occupation(s)Architect, urban planner, educator, theorist, author
Spouses
Nina Nusynowicz
​
​
(m.1959;div.1981)​
Michal Ronnen
​
(m.1981)​
Children4, includingOren
Awards
See list:
PracticeSafdie Architects (est. 1964)
Projects
See list:
Websitesafdiearchitects

Moshe SafdieCCFRAICOAAFAIA(Hebrew:משה ספדיה;born July 14, 1938) is an Israeli-Canadian-American architect,urban planner,educator,theorist,and author. He is known for incorporating principles of socially responsible design throughout his six-decade career. His projects include cultural, educational, and civic institutions; neighborhoods and public parks; housing; mixed-use urban centers; airports; and master plans for existing communities and entirely new cities in theAmericas,theMiddle East,andAsia.[2]Safdie is most identified with designingMarina Bay SandsandJewel Changi Airport,as well as his debut projectHabitat 67,which was originally conceived as his thesis atMcGill University.[3]He holds legal citizenship inIsrael,Canada,and theUnited States.[4]

Early life and education[edit]

Safdie was born in the city ofHaifato a family ofSyrian Jews,his father was fromAleppo,and his mother whose family had origins in Aleppo was fromManchester.[5][6][7]He was nine years old and living in Haifa when theIsraeli Declaration of Independencewas issued byDavid Ben-Gurion.[5]After the1948 Arab–Israeli War,he lived on akibbutz,working in the countryside,[8]where he tended goats andkept bees.In 1953, the Israeli government restricted imports in response toan economic and currency crisis,severely affecting Safdie's father's textile business.[9]Consequently, when Safdie was 15, his family emigrated fromIsraeltoCanadaand settled down in the city ofMontreal,where he attendedWestmount High School.[10]: 13 

In September 1955, he registered for the six-year architectural degree program at theMcGill University Faculty of Engineering.In his fifth year, Safdie was named University Scholar. The following summer, he was awarded theCanada Mortgage and Housing Corporation(CMHC) scholarship. He traveled acrossNorth Americato observe housing developments in the continent's major cities.[10]: 13 In his final year, Safdie developed his thesis, entitled "A Case for City Living," and described as "A Three-Dimensional Modular Building System."[11]He received his degree in 1961.[10]: 14 Two years later, while apprenticing with Estonian-American architectLouis Kahn,Safdie was invited by his thesis advisor, Dutch-Canadian architectSandy van Ginkel,to submit his modular project for theWorld Exposition of 1967,which was to be held in Montreal.[11]Constructed permanently there, it became known asHabitat 67.

Career[edit]

In 1964, Safdie established Safdie Architects inMontrealto undertake work onHabitat 67,an adaptation of his thesis atMcGill University.[12][13]Habitat 67was selected by Canada as a central feature ofExpo 67.The project pioneered[peacock prose]the design and implementation ofthree-dimensional,prefabricatedunits for living. Safdie designed the complex as a neighborhood with open spaces, garden terraces, and many other amenities typically reserved for the single-family home and adapted to a high-density urban environment.[14]

Habitat 67,in Montreal

In 1970, Safdie established a branch office of his practice inJerusalem.[12]During this period, Safdie combined his interests in social activism and advanced technologies with respect for historical and regional context.[15]He worked on the restoration of the Old City and the construction ofMamilla Mall,linking old and new cities. Other significant works in Israel include theNew City of Modi’in,theYad VashemHolocaust History Museum,Yitzhak Rabin Centerfor Israel Studies,Ben Gurion International Airport,National Campus for the Archeology of Israel,multiple projects forHebrew Union College,and others. During this period, Safdie also worked with leaders inSenegalandIran.[12]Safdie was consulted during the development of theMerkavatank byIsrael Tal.[16][undue weight?–discuss]

Later, Safdie received commissions for public buildings in Canada: theNational Gallery of Canada,[17]theQuebec Museum of Civilization,andVancouver Library Square.Other notable cultural works include theKhalsa Heritage Memorial Complex,the national museum of theSikhpeople inPunjab, India;theUnited States Institute of Peace Headquarterson the Mall in Washington, DC; theKauffman Center for the Performing ArtsinKansas City, Missouri;and theCrystal Bridges Museum of American ArtinBentonville, Arkansas.

Safdie has worked on projects inemerging markets,and brought projects to completion in shorter periods, at larger scales.[15]including:Marina Bay Sands,a mixed-use resort integrated with Singapore's iconic Skypark;Jewel Changi Airport,a new community-centric airport typology combining marketplace and garden; andRaffles City Chongqing,a mixed-use development featuring over one million square meters of housing, office, retail, transportation, and hotel programs. To connect four towers inChongqing, China,he designed a sky bridge that has been referred to as the world's longest "Horizontal Skyscraper."[18]Safdie and his team have used sky bridges and multi-level connectivity in other projects to make skyscrapers more accessible.[19][20]

Practice[edit]

Today, Safdie Architects is headquartered inSomerville, Massachusetts,near Harvard University, with additional offices inJerusalem,Toronto, Shanghai, and Singapore.[21]The business is organized as a partnership.[22]

Safdie formed a research program within his office to pursue the advanced investigation of design topics. The practice-orientedfellowshipexplores speculative ideas outside normal business practice constraints. Fellows work independently with Safdie and firm principals to formulate specific proposals and research plans. The salaried position is in-residence, with full access to project teams and outside consultants. Past fellowships include Habitat of the Future, Mobility on Demand, and Tall Buildings in the City.[23]

In December 2023, Safdie Architects announced it was suspending its involvement in controversial hotel development in Jerusalem's Armenian quarter, citing "controversy surrounding the land lease agreement".[24]This followed an attack by some 30 armed masked individuals on Armenian community members holding a vigil at the site. The Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem accused Danny Rothman, Safdie Architects' client for the project, of organizing the attack.[25]

Academia[edit]

In 1978, after teaching atMcGill,Ben Gurion,andYaleuniversities, Safdie was appointed Director of theUrban DesignProgram atHarvard University'sGraduate School of Design (GSD)and moved toBoston,Massachusetts. He served as Director until 1984. From 1984 to 1989, he was the Ian Woodner Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard.[26]Safdie continues to work closely with the GSD, frequently teaching design studio; Notably, Rethinking the Humanist High-Rise (2019) and Rethinking Hudson Yards (2017).[27][28]

Personal life[edit]

In 1959, Safdie married Nina Nusynowicz, a Polish-IsraeliHolocaustsurvivor. Safdie and Nusynowicz have two children, a daughter and a son. Both were born during the inception and erection ofHabitat 67.Just before its opening, Safdie and his young family moved into the development. Safdie and Nusynowicz divorced in 1981. His daughter Taal is an architect in San Diego, a partner of the firmSafdie Rabines Architects;His sonOrenis a playwright who has written several plays about architecture. Safdie's great-nephews are independent filmmakers,Josh and Benny.

In 1981, Safdie married Michal Ronnen, a Jerusalem-born photographer and daughter of artist Vera Ronnen. Safdie and Ronnen have two daughters, Carmelle and Yasmin. Carmelle is an artist, and Yasmin is a social worker.

Recognition[edit]

Exhibitions[edit]

Films[edit]

Archives[edit]

The Moshe Safdie Archive, donated toMcGill Universityby the architect in 1990, is one of the most extensive individual collections of architectural documentation in Canada.[8]Comprising material from 235 projects, the Moshe Safdie Archive records the progression of Safdie's career from his first unpublished university papers to Safdie Architects' current projects. The collection includes over 140,000 drawings, over 200 architectural models, extensive project files, audiovisual and digital material, as well as over 100,000 project photos and travel slides, 215 personal sketchbooks, and 2,250 large sketches.[8]Administered by theMcGill UniversityLibrary, a list of physical holdings are available to researchers.

Select projects[edit]

Jewel Changi Airport,Singapore, 2019

Works[edit]

  • With Intention to Build: The Unrealized Concepts, Ideas, and Dreams of Moshe Safdie. Ed. Michael Crosbie. Melbourne, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2020.
  • "The Story of Israeli Architecture in Singapore" in Beating the Odds Together: 50 Years of Singapore-Israel Ties. Ed. Mattia Tomba. Singapore:World Scientific Book,2019.ISBN978-981-121-468-4OCLC1122747159
  • Megascale, Order & Complexity. Ed. Michael Jemtrud. Montreal: McGill University School of Architecture, 2009.
  • The City After the Automobile: An Architect's Vision. With Wendy Kohn. New York: Basic Books; Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co., 1997.
  • The Language and Medium of Architecture (lecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design delivered November 15, 1989)
  • Jerusalem: The Future of the Past. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
  • Beyond Habitat by 20 Years. Ed. John Kettle. Montreal and Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books, 1987.
  • The Harvard Jerusalem Studio: Urban Designs for the Holy City]. Asst. eds. Rudy Barton and Uri Shetrit. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1985.
  • Form & Purpose. Ed. John Kettle. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982.
  • Habitat Bill of Rights WithNader Ardalan,George Candilis, Balkrishna V. Doshi, and Josep Lluís Sert. Imperial Government of Iran Ministry of Housing, 1976.
  • For Everyone A Garden. Ed. Judith Wolin. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1974.
  • Beyond Habitat. Ed. John Kettle. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1970.
  • Habitat. Montreal: Tundra Books, 1967.

Works about Safdie[edit]

  • Jewel Changi Airport. Melbourne, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2020.
  • Safdie. Mulgrave, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2014.
  • Reaching for the Sky: The Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Singapore: ORO Editions, 2013.
  • Peace Building: The Mission, Work, and Architecture of the United States Institute of Peace. Dalton, MA: The Studley Press, 2011.
  • Valentin, Nilda, ed. Moshe Safdie. Rome: Edizione Kappa, 2010.
  • Moshe Safdie I. Mulgrave, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2009.
  • Moshe Safdie II. Mulgrave, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2009.
  • Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie. New York:Scala Publishers, Ltd., 2007.
  • Yad Vashem: Moshe Safdie – The Architecture of Memory. Baden, Switzerland: Lars Müller Publishers, 2006.
  • Moshe Safdie, Museum Architecture 1971–1988. Tel Aviv: Genia Schreiber University Art Gallery, Tel Aviv University, 1998.
  • Kohn, Wendy, ed. Moshe Safdie. London: Academy Editions, 1996.
  • Moshe Safdie: Buildings and Projects, 1967–1992. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 1996.
  • Rybczynski, Witold. A Place for Art: The Architecture of the National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1993.
  • Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. Montreal: Montreal Museum of Arts, 1991.

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Moshe Safdie".Britannica.RetrievedFebruary 12,2024.
  2. ^"News Release – Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie"(PDF).Skirball Cultural Center.
  3. ^"Moshe Safdie Wins 2015 AIA Gold Medal".FastCompany.
  4. ^"People: Moshe Safdie".Safdie Architects.
  5. ^abSafdie, Moshe (1970).Beyond Habitat.USA: The M.I.T. Press.ISBN0262690365.
  6. ^Safdie, Moshe (October 6, 2022).If Walls Could Speak: My Life in Architecture.Grove Press UK.ISBN978-1-61185-873-0.
  7. ^Moore, Rowan (October 23, 2022)."Architect Moshe Safdie: 'I was antagonistic to postmodernism – and I paid a price'".The Observer.ISSN0029-7712.RetrievedDecember 24,2023.
  8. ^abcMoshe Safdie: Buildings and Projects, 1967-1992.McGill-Queen's University Press. 1996. p. 13.ISBN0-7735-1510-0.
  9. ^Valentin, Nilda (2010).Moshe Safdie.Rome: Edizioni Kappa. p. 16.ISBN978-88-6514-019-2.
  10. ^abcMoshe Safdie: Buildings and Projects, 1967–1992.McGill-Queen's University Press. 1996.ISBN0773515100.
  11. ^ab"AD Classics: Habitat 67 / Safdie Architects".ArchDaily. July 21, 2013.
  12. ^abcd"Biography".McGill University Library.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.
  13. ^"Safdie Architects".RetrievedFebruary 18,2021.
  14. ^Safdie, Moshe (1974). Wolin, Judith (ed.).For Everyone a Garden.The M.I.T. Press.ISBN0262191083.
  15. ^abAlbrecht, Donald; Williams, Sarah;Safdie, Moshe(2010).Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie.Scala Arts Publishers, Inc. p. 27.ISBN9781785510281.
  16. ^Sadfie, Moshe (January 28, 1999)."The Architecture of Science: From D'Arcy Thompson to the SSC".In Galison, Peter; Thompson, Emily (eds.).The Architecture of Science.MIT Press. pp. 481–482.ISBN978-0-262-52645-6.
  17. ^Bozikovic, Alex (July 25, 2022)."A world-famous architect asks: Why did his Toronto design disappear?".The Globe and Mail.RetrievedJuly 25,2022.
  18. ^"World's Longest 'Horizontal Skyscraper' Topped Out".New Civil Engineering. March 4, 2019.RetrievedMarch 4,2019.
  19. ^"The 50 Most Influential Tall Buildings of the Last 50 Years".Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.Archived fromthe originalon October 10, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 4,2020.
  20. ^"10-Year Award of Excellence Winners".Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
  21. ^"Archinect Firms".RetrievedMarch 5,2021.
  22. ^"Exclusive visit: Safdie Architects".Architectural DigestChina.RetrievedFebruary 18,2021.
  23. ^"Safdie Architects Research Fellowship".RetrievedFebruary 18,2021.
  24. ^Safdie Architects respond to participation in the Armenian Quarter land lease deal[1]
  25. ^Jerusalem's Armenian community attacked by a mob amid land dispute, Civilnet report[2]
  26. ^Safdie.Australia: The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd. 2014.ISBN9781864705591.
  27. ^"Re-thinking a Humanist Skyscraper City".Harvard University Graduate School of Design.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.
  28. ^"The High Line as Urban Spine".Harvard University Graduate School of Design.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.

External links[edit]

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