Concrete Communities

I signed up for a tour to see Habitat 67 over the Canada Day long weekend. They only started allowing tours in 2019.

It’s called Habitat 67 because it was built last minute for Expo 67, itself hosted last minute in Montreal. Together there are 146 residences of varying sizes and configurations, each formed from one to eight linked concrete units.

The development was designed to integrate the benefits of the new wave of suburban living — namely gardens, privacy, views, and multilevel environments — with the economics and density of a modern urban affordable housing project.

Doors Open

This weekend was Doors Open T.O. where the city opens Public Buildings like the courthouse to the general public. I got to visit some architectural firms around the design district to see the direction the city is going. I also visited the U of T Daniels Building, Osgoode Hall, and the Lawrence Building.

London, Deux

How do I still have content from this trip??? It was only 10 days. Figures why my feet hurt so much by the end. Anyway this is probably the last you’ll hear of it. I made a quick PDF guide (linked at the bottom of this post) with some annotated notes about what I booked/bought/ate/etc.

Gallery

While in Somerset I photographed a little travel feature showcasing a couple of galleries I was excited to visit; Francis Gallery in Bath and Hauser & Wirth in Bruton.

Francis Gallery in Bath was founded by Rosa Park, co-creator of the former Cereal magazine. Housed inside a beautifully restored Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, Francis Gallery curates works by international artists in a setting informed by Korean aesthetics.

For the group show Untitled, Francis Gallery brought together the work of British painter Luke Samuel, Franco-British photographer Charlotte Colbert, and Australian sculptor Ceara Metlikovec.

Hauser & Wirth Somerset occupies a former farmstead in Bruton and is home to a vibrant program of art exhibitions.

The New Bend exhibition offers an unique visual vernacular existing in tender dialogue with, and in homage to, the contributions of the Gee’s Bend Alabama quilters — Black American women in collective cooperation and creative economic production — and their enduring legacy.