Renowned Quebec architect Claude Provencher died on Friday after requesting medical assistance in dying to end months of suffering due to illness. He was 72 years old. The Provencher_Roy firm, which confirmed the information in a press release released at the start of the evening, welcomed this death “with great sadness”.
After graduating in architecture from the University of Montreal in 1975, Claude Provencher made his debut in the profession with the Papineau Gérin-Lajoie Le Blanc architectes agency. It was there that he met the architect Michel Roy, with whom he founded a few years later, in 1983, the Provencher_Roy firm. Their office quickly became one of the largest firms in Quebec, offering its services in architecture and urban planning as well as urban design.
Over the years, the team has made its mark here and also abroad. But it is especially in Montreal that we find the signature of Claude Provencher. Among the projects on which his firm has worked — alone or in collaboration — include the Claire and Marc Bourgie pavilion of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Pointe-à-Callière museum, the Samuel-De Champlain bridge, the CHU Sainte- Justine, the Balmoral block in the Place des Festivals, which hosts the NFB, and the Saputo stadium. The firm also participated in the expansion and renovation of the Ritz-Carlton, the Montreal Tower, the Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, the Casino and the Decelles building at HEC Montreal.
“Passionate, enthusiastic, intuitive, constructive, emotional, Claude Provencher made an important contribution, through his aestheticism, his open-mindedness and his unwavering commitment, to our architectural heritage,” the firm recalled on Sunday. “Today, there are countless buildings bearing his mark in Montreal. »
Considered one of the instigators of the new urban architecture of the late 1970s in Canada, Claude Provencher placed the environment and sustainable architecture at the heart of his practice. He attached particular importance to the marriage between modernity and heritage, concerned with creating urban and living spaces imbued with beauty and quality to promote collective well-being.
During his career, his achievements have received numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Award of Excellence, the Canadian Architect and the Ordre des architectes du Québec. In 2021, Claude Provencher was named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec, the most prestigious recognition awarded by the Quebec state. This award highlighted all of his work, but also his commitment to the community.
A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, a fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and a member of the Ordre des architectes du Québec and the Ordre des architectes de l’Ontario, Claude Provencher was very active in his profession.
From 1999 to 2011, he was a member and vice-chair of the Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty of the National Capital Commission, in Ottawa. From 2009 to 2016, he served as curator and member of the advisory committee at the Conseil du patrimoine culturel du Québec. Not to mention his involvement in various university committees and organizations promoting excellence in architecture.
Claude Provencher is survived by his wife, Lucie Bouthillette, his children and his loved ones.