The McIntyre Medical Sciences Building

A model of the McIntyre Medical Sciences Building.

One of the most prestigious educational facilities here in Montreal is McGill University. McGill's downtown campus is an eclectic mix of historical buildings and modern edifices. One of the grooviest buildings, built during the Expo 67 era, has to be the McIntyre Medical Sciences Building.

An Expo 67 postcard that featured the McIntyre Building in the Montreal skyline.

The McIntyre Building was named after Canadian Pacific Railway founder Duncan McIntyre (1834-1894). McIntyre built his mansion Craiguie on ten acres of land on the slope of Mount Royal. The house was eventually demolished after his death, and in 1947, family members donated the property to McGill in his honor. For many years, the park was used as as the site of the University tennis courts, as well as a wildlife area.

View of the McIntyre Building under construction, in the mid 1960's.

The site was chosen for the new medical building, designed in 1965, because of it's strategic location between the Royal Victoria and Montreal General hospitals (McGill's 2 teaching hospitals). The site posed numerous problems, however. Being on the south side of Mount Royal, there was a difference of 70 feet between the two required entrances. A circular tower with a central elevator core was deemed as the most practical design.

The structure was built using poured-in-place concrete, with exterior walls of pre-cast concrete. An exposed melange of quartz, limestone and granite gave tones from white to dark grey.

One of the McIntyre Building's 2 lecture theatres.

The two main lecture theatres were positioned near the sixth floor entrance to reduce traffic in between classes. The upper floors contained research labs and offices, and the lower floors were mainly dedicated to classrooms, offices, a library, cafeteria, and public areas.

A mod student lounge and cafeteria in the McIntyre Building.

images: archives.mcgill.ca
except Expo 67 postcard: alamedainfo.com