Architecture guide mines riches of aesthetic heritage

Have you ever passed Ravenscrag, the imposing Sir Hugh Allen mansion near the head of Peel Street, and asked yourself why anyone in their right mind would build a tower atop their home?

These and many other questions are answered in Montreal Architecture: A Guide to Style and Buildings by François Rémillard and Brian Merrett. If the title sounds a bit familiar, it's because this is an updated version of the original 1990 edition. For those who have never heard of this book, one glance through its comprehensive listing of notable buildings will convince you that it is a must for anyone interested in the architectural history of the city.

From the earliest stone structures still standing near Champ-de-Mars, part of the city's original fortifications, right through to the modern downtown creations such as the IBM Marathon Building, Rémillard and Merrett take their readers on a grand tour through the ages, pausing to point out and explain the various styles that came in and out of vogue along the way.

Of course the book is filled with references to the work of local architectural heroes such as Robert Findlay, Jean-Omer Marchand, Percy Nobbs, John James Browne and the often-venerated Maxwell Brothers, yet some readers will no doubt be surprised at the inclusion of big international names like Buckminster Fuller and I.M. Pei. But then it must be remembered that they were responsible for the Biosphere (the USA Pavilion in Expo 67) and Place Ville Marie, respectively. Even the great Bauhaus master Mies van der Rohe contributed to the Montreal skyline — our very own Westmount Square tower.

Nearly a dozen Westmount properties are featured, not only the well-documented landmarks like Westmount City Hall, but also a few residences such as the Birks house on Summit Circle and the Fortier home on Sunnyside Avenue.

Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Beaux-Arts, Art Deco and Post-Modern — it's all there between two covers, reiterating Montreal's solid reputation as an architectural showcase. In all, 189 buildings are featured, illustrating no less than 34 architectural styles. The result has obviously been a labour of love for the two collaborators, who previously worked together on the book Mansions of the Golden Square Mile.

Few photographers have documented Montreal's art and architecture with the reverence of Brian Merrett. His lens manages to find aesthetic gems that people pass by each day without a second glance, and his keen eye for detail provides the perfect complement to architectural historian François Rémillard's concise yet illuminating descriptions of each featured building.

Though designed to double as a walking tour guide, the book does not list the buildings by neighbourhood or region. Instead, the reader is given an easier lesson through the introduction of buildings classified by style and trend. This works out to more of a chronological than geographical account of the city's architectural development, providing readers with the fascinating history of Montreal through its buildings.

• Montreal Architecture: A Guide to Styles and Buildings by François Rémillard and Brian Merrett, is published by Les Editions Café Crème and is available at most bookstores.