The CCA Collection—one of the most significant collections of architectural material from its opening by Phyllis Lambert—promote global, interdisciplinary research by scholars and students while continuing to grow, with a special concern toward acquiring and addressing recent digital architectural production. Through its exhibitions and publishing activities, the CCA has aimed to forge links between architecture, the history of ideas and changing social and cultural conditions. Its interest is in stimulating new ways of thinking about the built environment and the way we live—for practitioners, historians and the general public, across all ages, at its physical home in Montreal and its expanded building on the web. As the CCA engages new audiences both online and in person, it also works to advance contemporary conversations about curatorial, publishing and archival practices.
Under the direction of Mirko Zardini, the most recent lines of work at the CCA include the project Archaeology of the Digital, an investigation into the development and use of computers in architecture and the first step toward the CCA’s objective to create a collection of digital architecture.
The interdisciplinary research program includes 1945–1975: British Culture for Architecture, which aims to enact a new method of historiography that explores the relationship between societal change and cultural production.
The upcoming exhibition and publication Rooms You May Have Missed focused on Bijoy Jain and Umberto Riva, architects who share a deep concern with architectural processes, materials and craft.
The CCA will mark its 25th anniversary on the 25th day of each month until May 2015, channeling the celebration into a variety of new activities, publications and events launched on the CCA website. See cca.qc.ca/25years for details.
