Moshe Safdie ( he, משה ספדיה; born July 14, 1938) is an architect,

urban planner An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning. An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...

, educator,

theorist A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

, and author, with Israeli, Canadian, and American citizenship. He is known for incorporating principles of socially responsible design in his 50-year 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

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and South America, the Middle East, and Asia. He is most identified with designing

Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay Sands (abbreviation: MBS) is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and at its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino prop ...

and

Jewel Changi Airport Jewel Changi Airport (also known as Jewel or Jewel Changi) is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex surrounded by and linked to Changi Airport, Singapore, linked to one of its passenger terminals. Its centrepiece is the world's talle ...

, as well as his debut project,

Habitat 67 HABITAT 67, or simply Habitat, is a housing complex at Cité du Havre, on the Saint Lawrence River, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, designed by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. It originated in his master's thesis at the School of Architect ...

, originally conceived as his thesis at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

Early life and education

Moshe Safdie was born in

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

British Mandate of Palestine British Mandate of Palestine or Palestine Mandate most often refers to: * Mandate for Palestine: a League of Nations mandate under which the British controlled an area which included Mandatory Palestine and the Emirate of Transjordan. * Mandatory P ...

, in 1938, to a

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefar ...

family of Syrian-Jewish and Lebanese-Jewish descent. He was nine years old, living in

, when, on May 14, 1948,

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; he, דָּוִד בֶּן-גּוּרִיּוֹן ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of Israel. Adopting the name ...

proclaimed the

Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel ( he, הכרזה על הקמת מדינת ישראל), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 ( 5 Iyar 5708) by David Ben-Gurion, the Executive ...

. Safdie attended Reali High School. He lived on a

kibbutz A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...

, working in the countryside. He tended goats and kept bees. In 1953, the Israeli government restricted imports in response to an economic and currency crisis, which severely affected Safdie's father's textile business. Consequently, when Safdie was 15, his family emigrated to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. There, he attended

Westmount High School Westmount High School (french: École secondaire Westmount) is a public co-educational anglophone secondary school located in Westmount, Quebec, Canada, located near Alexis Nihon Complex Shopping Mall. Westmount High is Quebec's first and o ...

. In September 1955, he registered for the six-year architectural degree program at the

McGill University Faculty of Engineering The Faculty of Engineering is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, bio-engineering, materials and minin ...

. In his fifth year, Safdie was named University Scholar. The following summer, he was awarded the

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) (french: Société canadienne d'hypothèques et de logement) (SCHL) is Canada's national housing agency, and state-owned mortgage insurer. It was originally established after World War II, to help re ...

(CMHC) Scholarship. He traveled across North America to observe housing developments in major cities. In his final year, Safdie developed his thesis, entitled "A Case for City Living" and described as "A Three-Dimensional Modular Building System". He received his degree in 1961. Two years later, while apprenticing with

Louis Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whi ...

, Safdie at age 23 was invited by his thesis advisor,

Sandy van Ginkel Harmen Peter Daniel (Daniel, later Sandy) van Ginkel, (February 10, 1920 – July 5, 2009) was a Dutch and Canadian architect and urban planner. He was a leading force in the planning efforts surrounding Expo 67. Van Ginkel studied architec ...

, to submit his modular project for the World Exposition of 1967, to be held in Montreal. Constructed permanently there, it became known as Habitat 67.

Career

In 1964, Safdie established Safdie Architects in

to undertake work on

, an adaptation of his thesis at

was selected by Canada as a central feature of

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

; it pioneered the design and implementation of

three-dimensional Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called ''parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the informal ...

prefabricated Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term is u ...

units 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. In 1970, Safdie established a branch office of his practice in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. During this period, Safdie combined his interests in social activism and advanced technologies with respect for historic and regional context. He worked on the restoration of the Old City and the construction of

Mamilla Mamilla ( he, ממילא) is a neighbourhood of Jerusalem that was established in the late 19th century outside the Old City, west of the Jaffa Gate. Until 1948 it was a mixed Jewish-Arab business district. Between 1948 and 1967, it was locat ...

Center, linking old and new cities. Other significant works in Israel include the New City of Modi’in, the

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...

Holocaust History Museum,

Yitzhak Rabin Center The Yitzhak Rabin Center is a library and research center in Tel Aviv, Israel, built in memory of assassinated Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Yitzhak Rabin Center, designed by the Israeli architect, Moshe Safdie, sits on a hill comman ...

for Israel Studies,

Ben Gurion International Airport Ben Gurion International Airport, ; ar, مطار بن غوريون الدولي , commonly known by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is th ...

, National Campus for the Archeology of Israel, multiple projects for

Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

, and others. During this period, Safdie also worked with leaders in

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

and

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. Later, Safdie received commissions for public buildings in Canada: the

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (french: Musée des beaux-arts du Canada), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the l ...

, the Quebec Museum of Civilization, and

Vancouver Library Square Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

. Other notable cultural works include the

Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex Virasat-e-Khalsa is a museum of Sikhism, located in the holy town, Anandpur Sahib, near Chandigarh, the capital of the state of Punjab, India, Punjab, India. The museum celebrates 500 years of the Sikh history and the 300th anniversary of the K ...

, the national museum of the

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

people in

Punjab, India Punjab (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Himachal ...

; the

United States Institute of Peace Headquarters The United States Institute of Peace Headquarters houses staff offices and other facilities for the government-funded think tank focused on peacemaking and conflict avoidance. The building is the first permanent home for the United States Instit ...

on the Mall in Washington, DC; the

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, at 16th and Broadway, near the Power & Light District, the T-Mobile Center and the Crossroads Arts District. Its construction was a m ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

; and the

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is a museum of American art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The museum, founded by Alice Walton and designed by Moshe Safdie, officially opened on 11 November 2011. It offers free public admission. Overview ...

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, tenth-largest city in Arkansas, United States and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, Benton County. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adja ...

. Safdie has worked on projects in

emerging markets An emerging market (or an emerging country or an emerging economy) is a market that has some characteristics of a developed market, but does not fully meet its standards. This includes markets that may become developed markets in the future or were ...

, and brought projects to completion in shorter time spans, at larger scales. including:

, a mixed-use resort integrated with Singapore's iconic Skypark;

, a new community-centric airport typology combining marketplace and garden; and Raffles City Chongqing, a mixed-use development featuring over one million square meters of housing, office, retail, transportation, and hotel programs. To connect four towers in Chongqing, China, he designed a skybridge that has been referred to as the world's longest "Horizontal Skyscraper." Safdie and his team have used skybridges and multi-level connectivity in other projects to make skyscrapers more accessible.

Practice

Today, Safdie Architects is headquartered in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts, with offices in

, Toronto, Shanghai, and Singapore. The business is organized as a partnership. Within his office, Safdie formed a research program to pursue advanced investigation of design topics. The practice-oriented

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

explores 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 located 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.

Academia

In 1978, after teaching at

McGill McGill is a surname of Scottish and Irish origin, from which the names of many places and organizations are derived. It may refer to: People * McGill (surname) (including a list of individuals with the surname) * McGill family (Monrovia), a promin ...

, Ben Gurion, and

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

universities, Safdie was appointed Director of the

Urban Design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, cities, and regional spaces, urban de ...

Program at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

's Graduate School of Design (GSD) and moved to

, Massachusetts. He served as Director until 1984. From 1984 to 1989, he was the Ian Woodner Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard. Safdie continues to work closely with the GSD, frequently teaching design studio; Notably, Rethinking the Humanist High-Rise (2019) and Rethinking Hudson Yards (2017).

Personal life

In 1959, Safdie married Nina Nusynowicz, a Polish-Israeli

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

survivor. Safdie and Nusynowicz have two children, a daughter and son, born during the inception and erection of

. Just before the opening, Safdie and his young family moved into the development. His daughter Taal is an architect in San Diego, a partner of the firm Safdie Rabines Architects; His son

Oren Oren ( he, אורן) is a masculine given name, meaning 'pine' or 'ash' in Hebrew. In the Book of Chronicles, Oren is one of the sons of Jerahmeel, the first-born of Hezron, along with Ram, Bunah, Ozem and Ahijah. Oren, as a given name or surna ...

is a playwright who has written several plays about architecture. Safdie's great-nephews, Josh and Benny, are independent filmmakers. Safdie and Nusynowicz divorced in 1981. 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

* 2020: Genius Award,

Liberty Science Center Liberty Science Center is an interactive science museum and learning center located in Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. At its opening it was the largest such planetarium in the Western Hemisphere and the world's ...

` * 2020: Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award,

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States ...

(CTBUH) * 2019: Honorary Doctorate,

Technion – Israel Institute of Technology The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology ( he, הטכניון – מכון טכנולוגי לישראל) is a public research university located in Haifa, Israel. Established in 1912 under the dominion of the Ottoman Empire, the Technion ...

* 2019:

Wolf Prize The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of natio ...

in Architecture, International

Wolf Foundation The Wolf Foundation is a private not-for-profit organization in Israel established in 1975 by Ricardo Wolf, a German-born Jewish Cuban inventor and former Cuban ambassador to Israel. Ricardo Wolf Ricardo Wolf, the founder of the Wolf Foundat ...

* 2018: Lifetime Achievement Award,

Design Futures Council The Design Futures Council is an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders exploring global trends, challenges, and opportunities to advance innovation and shape the future of the industry and environment. Members inclu ...

* 2015:

Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

* 2012: Medaille du Merite,

Ordre des architectes du Québec The Ordre des architectes du Québec is a professional association representing architects in the Canadian province of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name i ...

* 2005: Companion

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, Governor General-in-Council of Canada * 2003: Lifetime Achievement Award,

YIVO YIVO (Yiddish: , ) is an organization that preserves, studies, and teaches the cultural history of Jewish life throughout Eastern Europe, Germany, and Russia as well as orthography, lexicography, and other studies related to Yiddish. (The word '' ...

Institute for Jewish Research * 2002: Honorary Fellow,

Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland. History Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in ...

* 2001: Honorary Doctorate,

Hebrew College Hebrew College is a private college of Jewish studies in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, Hebrew College is committed to Jewish scholarship in a pluralistic, trans-denominational academic environment. The president of the colleg ...

* 1997: Jewish Cultural Achievement Award in the Visual Arts,

National Foundation for Jewish Culture The Foundation for Jewish Culture (formerly the National Foundation for Jewish Culture) was an advocacy group for Jewish cultural life and creativity in the United States. Founded in 1960, it supported writers, filmmakers, artists, composers, ch ...

* 1996: Honorary Doctorate in Engineering,

Technical University of Nova Scotia The Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) was a Canadian university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. TUNS was officially founded as the Nova Scotia Technical College on 25 April 1907. On 1 April 1997 it was merged into Dalhousie Universit ...

* 1996: Academy Member,

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

* 1995: Gold Medal,

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

* 1995: College of Fellows,

* 1993:

Richard Neutra Richard Joseph Neutra ( ; April 8, 1892 – April 16, 1970) was an Austrian-American architect. Living and building for the majority of his career in Southern California, he came to be considered a prominent and important modernist architect. He ...

Award for Professional Excellence,

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the '' name'' section of this article for more info ...

* 1989: Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts,

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

* 1988: Honorary Doctorate in Sciences,

Laval University Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxemb ...

* 1987: Mt. Scopus Award for Humanitarianism,

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...

* 1986: The

, Governor General-in-Council of Canada * 1982: Honorary Doctor of Law,

* 1982: Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal for Distinction in Design, Tau Sigma Delta Grand Chapter * 1961: Lieutenant Governor's Gold Medal for Exceptional Merit, Lieutenant Governor of Québec

Exhibitions

* 2017: ''Habitat 67 vers l’avenir: The Shape of Things to Come'',

Université du Québec à Montréal The Université du Québec à Montréal (English: University of Quebec in Montreal), also known as UQAM, is a French-language public university based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québe ...

* 2010–2014: ''Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie'',

, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada /

Skirball Cultural Center The Skirball Cultural Center, founded in 1996, is a Jewish educational institution in Los Angeles, California. The center, named after philanthropist-couple Jack H. Skirball and Audrey Skirball-Kenis, features a museum with regularly changing e ...

, Los Angeles, California /

, Bentonville, Arkansas, USA * 2012–2013: ''Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges'',

, Bentonville, Arkansas, USA * 2004: ''An Architect's Vision: Moshe Safdie’s Jepson Center for the Arts'',

Telfair Museum of Art Telfair Museums, in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, was the first public art museum in the Southern United States. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair (1791–1875), a prominent local citizen, and operated by the Georgia Histo ...

, Savannah, Georgia, USA * 2003–2004: ''Building a New Museum'',

Peabody Essex Museum The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts, US, is a successor to the East India Marine Society, established in 1799. It combines the collections of the former Peabody Museum of Salem (which acquired the Society's collection) and the ...

, Salem, Massachusetts, USA * 1998: ''Moshe Safdie, Museum Architecture 1971–1998'',

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

, Tel Aviv, Israel * 1989: ''Moshe Safdie, Projects: 1979–1989'',

Harvard University Graduate School of Design The Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) is the graduate school of design at Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It offers master's and doctoral programs in architecture, landscape architecture, urban ...

, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA * 1985: ''The National Gallery of Canada'',

, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA /

, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada * 1982: ''Context'', Traveling exhibit sponsored by

New York Institute for the Humanities The New York Institute for the Humanities (NYIH) is an academic organization founded by Richard Sennett in 1976 to promote the exchange of ideas between academics, writers, and the general public. The NYIH regularly holds seminars open to the publ ...

* 1973–1974: ''For Everyone A Garden'',

Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of ...

, Baltimore, Maryland, USA /

, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada / San Francisco MoMA, San Francisco, California, USA

Films

* 2020: "Moshe Safdie: Another Dimension of Architecture," ''I-Talk Productions'' * 2018: "Time Space Existence," ''Plane-Site'' * 2004: "Moshe Safdie: The Power of Architecture," '' Dir. Donald Winkler'' * 2003: "

My Architect ''My Architect: A Son's Journey'' is a 2003 documentary film about the American architect Louis Kahn (1901–1974), by his son Nathaniel Kahn, detailing the architect's extraordinary career and his familial legacy after his death in 1974. In ...

: A Son’s Journey," '' Dir. Nathaniel Kahn'' * 1997: "The Sound of the Carceri with

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

," '' Dir. Francois Girard'' * 1973: "The Innocent Door" / "Coldspring New Town," ''

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

Select projects

* 1967:

World's Fair, Montreal, Quebec, Canada * 1987:

Musée de la Civilisation The Musée de la civilisation, often directly translated in English-language media outside Quebec as the Museum of Civilization, is a museum located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is situated in the historic Old Quebec area near the Saint La ...

, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada * 1988:

, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada * 1989: New City of Modi'in, Israel * 1989: Esplanade Condominiums, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US * 1991:

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

, Montreal, Quebec, Canada * 1992:

The Class of 1959 Chapel The Class of 1959 Chapel is a non-denominational chapel located on the campus of Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. It was designed by Moshe Safdie in 1992, as part of a master plan to complement the existing 1927 campus architectu ...

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...

, Boston, Massachusetts, US * 1994: John G. Diefenbaker Building, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada * 1994: Rosovsky Hall,

, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US * 1995: Yad Vashem

Children's A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

and Deportees Memorials, Jerusalem * 1995:

, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada * 1998:

David Citadel Hotel The David Citadel Hotel ( he, מָלוֹן מֽצוּדָת דָּוִד, ') is a luxury hotel on King David Street in Jerusalem, across the street from the Mamilla Mall. It has hosted VIPs, global political leaders, business moguls and celebritie ...

and David's Village, Jerusalem * 1998:

, Jerusalem * 1999:

for Israel Studies and Rabin Tomb, Tel Aviv, Israel * 2000: Exploration Place Science Museum, Wichita, Kansas, US * 2003:

, Salem, Massachusetts, US 2* 2003:

Salt Lake City Public Library The Salt Lake City Public Library system's main branch building is an architecturally unique structure in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is located at 210 East, 400 South, across from the Salt Lake City and County Building and Washington Square. His ...

, Salt Lake City, Utah, US * 2003: Cairnhill Road Condominiums, Singapore * 2003:

Eleanor Roosevelt College The Eleanor Roosevelt College (Roosevelt or ERC) is one of seven undergraduate colleges at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego or UCSD). While ERC has students of all majors, the college emphasizes international understanding in ...

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...

, California, US * 2004: Airside Building of Terminal 3,

, Tel Aviv, Israel * 2005:

Holocaust History Museum, Jerusalem * 2006:

Jepson Center for the Arts Telfair Museums, in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia, was the first public art museum in the Southern United States. Founded through the bequest of Mary Telfair (1791–1875), a prominent local citizen, and operated by the Georgia Histo ...

at Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia, US * 2007: Terminal 1,

Toronto Pearson International Airport Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surro ...

, Toronto, Ontario, Canada * 2008: United States Federal Courthouse, District of Massachusetts,

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

, US * 2008: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Headquarters, Washington, D.C., US * 2009:

Center, Jerusalem * 2009:

Hotel, Jerusalem * 2010:

Integrated Resort, Singapore * 2010:

ArtScience Museum ArtScience Museum is a museum within the integrated resort of Marina Bay Sands in the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore. Opened on 17 February 2011 by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, it is the world's first ArtScience m ...

, Singapore * 2011:

, Washington, D.C., US * 2011:

, Kansas City, Missouri, US * 2011:

, Bentonville, Arkansas, US * 2011: Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex (Virasat-e-Khalsa), Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India * 2013:

, Los Angeles, California * 2012: Sky Habitat, Singapore * 2017: Eling Residences,

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, China * 2017: Habitat Qinhuangdao,

Qinhuangdao Qinhuangdao (; ) is a port city on the coast of China in northern Hebei. It is administratively a prefecture-level city, about east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea. Its population during the 2020 national ...

, China * 2019: National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel, Jerusalem * 2019: Monde Residential Development,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada * 2019:

, Singapore * 2020: Raffles City Chongqing, Chongqing, China * 2021: Serena del Mar, Cartagena, Colombia * 2021:

Altair Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth-brightest star in the night sky. It has the Bayer designation Alpha Aquilae, which is Latinised from α Aquilae and abbreviated Alpha Aql ...

, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Works

* With Intention to Build: The Unrealized Concepts, Ideas, and Dreams of Moshe Safdie. Ed. Michael Crosbie. Melbourne, Victoria: Images Publishing Group, 2020. * 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 With

Nader Ardalan Nader Ardalan (born 9 March 1939) is an Iranian architect, urban planner and writer. Biography Ardalan was born on 9 March, 1939 in Tehran, Iran. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, obtaining a bachelor of ...

, 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 Moshe Safdie

* 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

File:Kauffman Center for Performing Arts 2.jpg,

, Kansas City, Missouri File:1959chapelexterior.JPG,

, Boston, Massachusetts File:Peabody Essex Museum.JPG,

, Salem, Massachusetts File:Rabin Center TA 09.JPG,

, Tel Aviv File:Musee de la Civilisation.JPG,

, Quebec City File:OttawaOldCityHall.JPG,

Ottawa City Hall Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core of ...

, Ottawa File:Blue Crystal tower.jpg,

, Ottawa File:Salt Lake City Public Library -IMG 1756.JPG,

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

Public Library, Utah File:Vancouver Library Square July 2004.jpg,

, Vancouver, British Columbia File:Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art--2012-04-12.jpg,

, Bentonville, Arkansas File:Marina Bay Sands and marine area.jpg,

, Singapore File:Skirball Architecture.jpg,

, Los Angeles, California File:United States Institute of Peace.jpg,

, Washington, D.C. File:Khalsa Heritage Memorial 176 Edit.jpg,

, Anandpur Sahib, India

References

External links

The Moshe Safdie Archive – McGill University

Safdie Architects

TED All-Stars, Reinventing the Apartment Building Presentation, 2014

Moshe Safdie, AIA Gold Medal Award Acceptance Speech, 2015

The Power of Architecture, 2013

On Ethics, Order and Complexity by Moshe Safdie, 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Safdie, Moshe 1938 births Canadian architects Canadian people of Syrian-Jewish descent Canadian Sephardi Jews Modernist architects Canadian urban planners Companions of the Order of Canada Harvard University faculty 20th-century Israeli architects Jewish architects Jewish Canadian artists Jewish Canadian writers Israeli emigrants to Canada Israeli Sephardi Jews Canadian people of Lebanese-Jewish descent Israeli people of Syrian-Jewish descent 20th-century Sephardi Jews 21st-century Mizrahi Jews Living people McGill School of Architecture alumni Modernist architecture in Canada People from Haifa Structuralists Urban designers Urban theorists Fellows of the American Institute of Architects 20th-century Mizrahi Jews 21st-century Sephardi Jews Architectural theoreticians Recipients of the AIA Gold Medal