Loyola College, Montreal

Not far from where I live is the former Loyola College (on Sherbrooke Street West near West Broadway); it is now, as of 1974, a campus of Concordia University. Concordia University was created by the amalgamation of Sir George Williams University, which was associated with the YMCA, and Loyola College, which was a Roman Catholic institution. Loyola College is one more institution built by Montreal's Irish community, as is St. Mary's Hospital. The college seems to have retained its heritage and religious foundation, as far as this is possible in today's secular world. Hingston Residence is on the campus, William Hingston being an important historical figure in Montreal. There is a free shuttle bus service for students that takes you to the downtown campus in a half hour, or less depending on traffic. Vanier Library is found here as are newer science buildings. 

Photographs taken the morning of 9 September 2023.

This is the new science hub at Concordia; visit the science hub located on the Loyola Campus. 

The longevity of glass buildings

I like older buildings that are substantial and that are built to last, we still have many of these older buildings in Montreal. The new Science Hub on the Loyola Campus of Concordia University is a striking addition to the university, it is what students and faculty expect and want in a new building. There is no point in constructing an old fashioned brick and concrete building, it would be incongruous and inconsistent with a contemporary campus. It would also be prohibitive in terms of cost. So, my hesitancy regarding this new building is just my taste in architecture; however, I also question the future of the building in a post-pandemic world, I wonder if buildings like this will be needed. Furniture has been carried into the new science building, it's ready to be occupied, but I'm not sure if they'll have any students on-campus this year due to the pandemic. Everything is changing, not for the better but just changing. The Science Hub doesn't look like it was constructed to last; I suspect that in a hundred years, if this building is still standing, people will scratch their heads and say "what were they thinking?" But do we even want buildings to last? Or are buildings like Ikea furniture, they look good for a while, they're functional, but they're still just made of laminated particle board, future junk.  No one had the idea of built-in obsolescence when they were constructing our many older buildings in Montreal; these older buildings add much to the quality of life in this city, they give us a feeling of substance, workmanship, creativity, and our culture and history. This is not the case with the Science Hub building, it could be located in any large city, in Toronto or elsewhere.