Canadian Centre for Architecture

For architecture buffs, the award-winning Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) offers incredible insight into contemporary architecture and its role in shaping our society.

Both an international research centre and a museum housing the world’s foremost collection of architectural drawings, books and archival materials, the CCA operates from the fundamental premise that architecture is a public concern. 

Through its exhibitions, publications and activities, the CCA explores how architecture shapes – and might reshape – contemporary society. As explained by Phyllis Lambert, architect, philanthropist and CCA founder: “We’re not a museum that puts things out and says, ‘This is architecture.’ We try to make people think.”  

Recognized for the richness of its collections and the quality of its exhibitions, the CCA organizes a wide variety of activities, including guided tours of the building, garden or current exhibitions, films, lectures and workshops.  

The CCA has received numerous awards for the design of its building in the form of an “E” which includes the Shaughnessy House, one of the rare 19th-century Montréal houses open to the public, surrounded by a sculpture garden reflecting the history of architecture as well as the city.