“Montreal is like the most Brutalist non-Soviet place on earth. Our entire metro system is brutalist af.” — Reddit, u/Gap1293

Montreal isn’t shy about its architectural identity.
These days, we’ve got our share of glass and steel structures like anybody else, but that’s only in addition to a skyline that leans into rawness and embraces the unapologetic honesty of Brutalism.
From the iconic Habitat 67 to the sprawling Guy-Favreau Complex, the city’s Brutalist landmarks are cultural artifacts, each etched with the ideals and contradictions of their era.
But how’d we get here?




Photograph: Eddy Lee / Jaykumar Bherwani / Phil Desforges / charlesdeluvio
The birth of Brutalism in Montreal
Keep reading “How Montreal falls in and out of love with Brutalist architecture”
The Main is Montreal's city magazine. We write the stories about this city nobody else is telling.
We're independent and reader-supported. Your support keeps us going.
Your email costs you nothing and opens the rest of this story now. It also means the next one reaches you on a Thursday, instead of disappearing into a feed.
No password. No payment. Opens instantly.
Already a member? Sign in







![The Bulletin: A weekend in January that belongs in the summer [Issue #112]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F01%2F58635-Credit-FR---Marie-Emmanuelle-Laurin-2021-EN-Credit---Marie-Emmanuelle-Laurin-2021.jpg&w=256&q=75)







Comments
Welcome to The Main's comments section!
Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.
No comments yet. Be the first!