Dan Hanganu and Phyllis Lambert, while serving as jurors in the 1997 RAIC International Competition
The architecture of Dan Hanganu has a strong and authentic presence. In contrast to the weak, mealy-mouthed or too-clever-by-half developer projects, or the business-as-usual institutional structures, his buildings enhance the City of Montreal. It is here that Hanganu has found his authentic voice.
Trained in his native Romania, Hanganu settled in Montreal in the early 1970s, and 20 years later he was everywhere, winning competitions and designing remarkable works that mark and enhance the city`s urban fabric. His early work transformed the low- to mid-income row house typology into lively and welcoming neighbourhood residences in the southwest of the city. One example is the Habitations Quesnel, whose modern porticos, walls articulated in planes and voids and surfaced with alternating   rows of grey concrete and rose-coloured bricks. Relatively small buildings, such as the mid- 1990s Design Pavilion at the Université du Québec à Montréal and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, assert their presence even as they meld into their surroundings. The spatial qualities of entry play against the street, and the interior spaces make bold statements.
His major Montreal buildings accomplish something all too rare: they heighten the quality of the surrounding buildings and spaces. The large 1992 Chaussegros-de-Lery complex skilfully integrates offices and residential units with commer...