Arcop (also ARCOP) was an architectural firm based in Montreal, renowned for designing many major projects in Canada including
Place Bonaventure
Place Bonaventure () is an office, exhibition, and hotel complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the city's Central Station. At in size, Place Bonaventure was the second-largest commercial building in the world at the time of i ...
,
Place Ville-Marie
Place Ville Marie (, abbr. PVM) is a large office and shopping complex skyscraper in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, comprising four office buildings and an underground shopping plaza. The main building, 1 Place Ville Marie (formerly Royal B ...
and
Maison Alcan
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, provin ...
. The firm was originally formed as a partnership under the name Affleck, Desbarats, Lebensold, Michaud & Sise between
Ray Affleck
Raymond Tait (Ray) Affleck (20 November 1922 – 16 March 1989) was a Canadian architect. He was born on 20 November 1922 in Penticton, British Columbia. He died in Montreal on 16 March 1989.Fred Lebensold and
Hazen Sise
Hazen Edward Sise (22 October 1906 – 15 February 1974) was a Canadian architect, educator, and humanitarian.
Early life and education
Sise was born in 1906 in Montreal, Quebec. His father, Paul Fleetford Sise, was president of the Northern ...
, all graduates and/or professors at the
McGill School of Architecture
The Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, formerly the McGill School of Architecture, is one of eight academic department, academic units constituting the McGill University Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at McGill University in ...
. In 1959, after the departure of Michaud and the addition of Dimitri Dimakopoulos, another McGill Architecture graduate, the firm was renamed Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold, Sise which it maintained for a decade afterward. The company did not adopt the name Arcop, which stands for "Architects in Co-Partnership", until 1970.
The concept of the firm was to pool together knowledge from multiple individual architects and was based upon the principles of The Architects' Collaborative, founded in 1945 by eight architects in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...
, including
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (; 18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-born American architect and founder of the Bauhaus, Bauhaus School, who is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modernist architecture. He was a founder of ...
. During the 1960s, Arcop was the largest architecture firm in Canada and at its peak in 1966, it employed over 150 people.
In 1970, Ray Affleck, Fred Lebensold and Arthur Boyd Nichol, an associate at the firm for over a decade, founded Arcop Associates, which continued to thrive for decades later until 2014, when the firm merged with five other architecture firms to form one national firm, Architecture49.
History
Arcop began as the architectural office of Affleck, Desbarats, Lebensold, Hasen & Sise in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
,
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
in 1953 when a partnership was formed between three graduates from the
School of Architecture
This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world.
An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is a professional school or institution specializing in architectura ...
at
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
,
Ray Affleck
Raymond Tait (Ray) Affleck (20 November 1922 – 16 March 1989) was a Canadian architect. He was born on 20 November 1922 in Penticton, British Columbia. He died in Montreal on 16 March 1989.Hazen Sise
Hazen Edward Sise (22 October 1906 – 15 February 1974) was a Canadian architect, educator, and humanitarian.
Early life and education
Sise was born in 1906 in Montreal, Quebec. His father, Paul Fleetford Sise, was president of the Northern ...
, who joined in 1954.
The earliest examples of projects from the firm's founding members include the Post Office in Town of Mount Royal by Affleck and Michaud from 1953–1955, Pre-cut Housing for Beaugrand-Champagne in Montreal by Affleck, Michaud and Desbarats in 1954 and the Beaver Lake Pavilion on
Mount Royal
Mount Royal (, ) is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The city's name is derived from the mountain's name.
The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentian M ...
in Montreal by Sise and Desbarats from 1955–1958. The first project that all members of the firm worked on together was an entry for a national competition to design the Vancouver Civic Auditorium in 1954, for which they won first place. This building was subsequently known as the
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
and was constructed from 1958–1962.
In 1954, Dimitri Dimakopoulos (1929–1995), another
McGill School of Architecture
The Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, formerly the McGill School of Architecture, is one of eight academic department, academic units constituting the McGill University Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at McGill University in ...
graduate, joined the firm, and after becoming a full partner three years later, the architects consolidated as Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold, Michaud & Sise, and in 1959, with the departure of Jean Michaud, the firm became Affleck, Desbarats, Dimakopoulos, Lebensold, Sise and remained so for a full decade.
In 1959,
Eva Vecsei
Eva Hollo Vecsei (born 21 August 1930) is a Hungarian-Canadian architect. She began her career in Budapest and emigrated to Montreal in 1957, where she established Vecsei Architects with her husband in 1984.
Biography
Vecsei was born Eva Hollo in ...
, who would later become one of the most prominent female architects in Canada, joined the firm and continued to work there until 1971, when she left to join Dimitri Dimakopoulos' practice and in 1973, opened her own practice, Eva H. Vecsei Architect, in Montreal.
The firm's prospectus around 1960 stated "The aim was to establish an organization that could carry out large and complex building projects; maintain a high level professional and technical competence; and above all develop to the utmost the social and aesthetic values that represent the highest contribution of architecture to our civilization". At this point, the firm had approximately 70 employees and was the largest architecture firm in Canada. Major projects in Montreal included
Place Ville-Marie
Place Ville Marie (, abbr. PVM) is a large office and shopping complex skyscraper in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, comprising four office buildings and an underground shopping plaza. The main building, 1 Place Ville Marie (formerly Royal B ...
, where the firm partnered with I.M. Pei from 1958–1964 as well as
Place des Arts
frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right.
Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...
from 1962–1965. Other major buildings followed, including
Place Bonaventure
Place Bonaventure () is an office, exhibition, and hotel complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the city's Central Station. At in size, Place Bonaventure was the second-largest commercial building in the world at the time of i ...
(1964–1968), two Theme Pavilions for
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 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 s ...
(1964–1967) and the
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
(1965–1968).
During this period the firm also designed churches, government buildings, exhibition pavilions, residential and cultural buildings, commercial and industrial buildings and educational buildings including the Georges-Vanier Library for Loyola College (now
Concordia University
Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...
) (1962–1964) and the Stephen Leacock Building (1962–1964) and University Centre (Student Union Centre) (1963–1966) at
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
.
In 1968, Hazen Sise retired, Guy Desbarats departed and Dimitri Dimakopoulos left to open his own office, and in 1970, Ray Affleck, Fred Lebensold and Arthur Boyd Nichol (who had been an associate in the firm since 1956) founded Arcop Associates.
The firm continued to design many buildings in Canada and other countries, such as
Le Centre Sheraton Hotel
The Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel is a skyscraper hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1201 René Lévesque Boulevard West in downtown Montreal, between Stanley Street and Drummond Street.
Le Centre Sheraton has 825 rooms an ...
in Montreal in 1982, the
Maison Alcan
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, provin ...
in Montreal in 1983 and the
Legislative Building of Nunavut
The Legislative Building of Nunavut () is a structure in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada that serves as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Designated Building 926, it consists of a three-storey glass and wood structure with a two-storey as ...
in
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Iqaluit is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is the territory's largest community and its only city, and the northernmost city in Canada. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on ...
in 1998–99. They also undertook the transformation of the Palais des civilisations (formerly the French pavilion of
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 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 s ...
) into the
Montreal Casino
The Montreal Casino ( French: ''Casino de Montréal'') located in Montreal, Quebec, is the largest casino in Canada. Situated on Notre Dame Island, in Jean-Drapeau Park, it consists of two former Expo 67 pavilion buildings. The casino is open t ...
in 1993.
In 2011, Senior architect Robert La Pierre was recognized by his peers of the RAIC and introduce into the Royal College of Fellow.
In 2011, Arcop and Montreal-based engineering consulting firm Genivar announced a strategic alliance.
In 2014, Arcop merged with five other architecture firms, namely AE Consultants, North 46, PBK, Smith Carter and WHW Architects to form one national firm, Architecture49.
Confederation Centre of the Arts
Confederation Centre of the Arts () is a cultural centre dedicated to the visual arts, visual and performing arts located in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
History
Construction of Confederation Centre, as it is commonly ...
, Charlottetown, PEI, 1964
*
Le Centre Sheraton Hotel
The Le Centre Sheraton Montreal Hotel is a skyscraper hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1201 René Lévesque Boulevard West in downtown Montreal, between Stanley Street and Drummond Street.
Le Centre Sheraton has 825 rooms an ...
, Montreal, QC, 1982
*
Legislative Building of Nunavut
The Legislative Building of Nunavut () is a structure in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada that serves as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Designated Building 926, it consists of a three-storey glass and wood structure with a two-storey as ...
, Iqaluit, NU (with Full Circle Architecture), 1998–99
*
Les Cours Mont-Royal
Les Cours Mont-Royal is an upscale shopping mall in the city's Downtown Montreal, downtown core of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which was converted from the former Mount Royal Hotel.
Architecture
The Mount Royal Hotel was designed by Ross and Macdo ...
(renovation), Montreal, QC, 1989
*Life Sciences Centre,
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...
, Halifax, NS, 1971
*
Maison Alcan
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, provin ...
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 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 s ...
, Montreal, QC, 1967
*
Montreal Casino
The Montreal Casino ( French: ''Casino de Montréal'') located in Montreal, Quebec, is the largest casino in Canada. Situated on Notre Dame Island, in Jean-Drapeau Park, it consists of two former Expo 67 pavilion buildings. The casino is open t ...
, Montreal, QC, 1993
*
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
, Ottawa, ON, 1965
*Place Air Canada, Montreal, QC, 1983
*
Place Bonaventure
Place Bonaventure () is an office, exhibition, and hotel complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the city's Central Station. At in size, Place Bonaventure was the second-largest commercial building in the world at the time of i ...
, Montreal, QC, 1964–1967
*
Place Ville-Marie
Place Ville Marie (, abbr. PVM) is a large office and shopping complex skyscraper in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, comprising four office buildings and an underground shopping plaza. The main building, 1 Place Ville Marie (formerly Royal B ...
, Montreal, QC (with I. M. Pei & Partners), 1958–1964
*Quebecor Building, Tour II, Montreal, QC, 2008
*
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf ...
, Vancouver, BC, 1959
*
Place des Arts
frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right.
Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...
(
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier is a large multipurpose venue in Montreal, Quebec equipped with sophisticated technical equipment. It seats 2,996 people and is part of the Place des Arts cultural complex in Montréal's Quartier des Spectacles entertainme ...
), Montreal, QC, 1963
*Stephen Leacock Building,
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
, Montreal, QC, 1962–1965
*St. John's Arts and Culture Centre, St. John's, NL, 1967
*University Centre,
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
Maison Alcan
Maison Alcan (English: Alcan House) is a building complex located on Sherbrooke Street in the Golden Square Mile district of Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, provin ...
(1983),
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
File:Place Bonaventure 04.JPG,
Place Bonaventure
Place Bonaventure () is an office, exhibition, and hotel complex in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, adjacent to the city's Central Station. At in size, Place Bonaventure was the second-largest commercial building in the world at the time of i ...
(1964–67),
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
File:Place Ville Marie.jpg,
Place Ville-Marie
Place Ville Marie (, abbr. PVM) is a large office and shopping complex skyscraper in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, comprising four office buildings and an underground shopping plaza. The main building, 1 Place Ville Marie (formerly Royal B ...
(1958–62),
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
File:Queen Elizabeth Theater Vancouver BC.JPG,
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf ...
(1958–62),
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
File:Édifice leacock.jpg, Stephen Leacock Building (1962–65),
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
,
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
File:Place des Arts 15.jpg,
Place des Arts
frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right.
Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...
(
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier is a large multipurpose venue in Montreal, Quebec equipped with sophisticated technical equipment. It seats 2,996 people and is part of the Place des Arts cultural complex in Montréal's Quartier des Spectacles entertainme ...
) (1963),
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
File:NAC-CNA-2019.jpg,
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building.
History
The NAC was one ...
(1965),
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
File:Leg Building Iqaluit 2000-08-27.jpg,
Legislative Building of Nunavut
The Legislative Building of Nunavut () is a structure in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada that serves as the seat of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. Designated Building 926, it consists of a three-storey glass and wood structure with a two-storey as ...
,
Iqaluit, Nunavut
Iqaluit is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It is the territory's largest community and its only city, and the northernmost city in Canada. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on ...
Canadian Centre for Architecture
The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA; ) is a Architecture museum, museum of architecture and research centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 1920, rue Baile (1920, Baile Street), between rue Fort (Fort Street) and rue Saint-Ma ...