Architecture Canada 2002: The Governor General's Awards for Architecture

Stephen Fai is associate director of the School of Architecture at
Carleton University in Ottawa.

Well-designed and impeccably produced, Architecture Canada 2002 is the
third in a series of publications by TUNS [Technical University of Nova
Scotia] Press that feature recipients of the Governor General’s Medals
in Architecture. Like the first two volumes in the series, this book is
recommended reading for anyone interested in architecture and required
reading for everyone involved in the production of Canadian
architecture. Twelve projects of varying scales by some of Canada’s
premier architects are presented through photographs, drawings, and
concise text. The depth and quality of the architecture speaks for
itself. The only shortcoming of this volume is the absence of an
introductory essay of a quality commensurate with the piece by Wilfried
Wang in Architecture Canada 1999. The short piece by juror Donald McKay
gives us a sense of the review process but lacks the critical insight of
Wang’s remarks. McKay is certainly capable of giving these projects a
critical context, but for whatever reason, he did not.

Architecture Canada 2002 is an informative read and a pleasure to look
at.