Georges E. Lemay, founder of Montreal-based architecture, planning and design firm Lemay, passed away on September 30, 2017, at the age of 88. He leaves to mourn his son Louis T. Lemay, current president of the firm, his daughters Ève and Brigitte and their families, and many friends and partners. Those who knew him remember a steadfast visionary, determined to advance the architectural profession. Through his projects, he intended for Quebec’s identity to flourish and nurtured the integration of art and architecture, a notion of transdisciplinary collaboration and democratization of art that guides the firm to this day.

“My father made an impression on his collaborators with his generosity and his absolute dedication to his craft, as much as his extraordinary influence on cityscapes across the province,” said Louis T. Lemay.

Georges E. Lemay cofounded, with Claude Leclerc, the architectural practice of Lemay Leclerc Architectes in 1957. The firm had first made a name for itself in Montreal, with the Church of Saint-Jean Baptiste de la Salle, the De l’Église metro station, Cégep André-Laurendeau and various banks and credit unions. These functionalist projects pushed the boundaries of concrete and made institutional architecture accessible to everyone – reflecting Quebec’s newfound openness to the world.

Following several incarnations in its first decades, the architectural firm grew steadily in stature and breadth until the turn of the 21^st century, when it began taking on large-scale, cityscape-defining projects such as 1000 de la Gauchetière[i], the Bell Centre[ii] and, internationally, the Martyrs’ Memorial community centre in Algiers, Algeria.

Louis T. Lemay recalled that “my father’s greatest wish was to develop modern architecture, to make it evolve and ensure its sustainability. There is no doubt he succeeded in that.”

The passing of Georges E. Lemay coincides with the 60^th anniversary of the firm he founded, which launched celebrations of his legacy in recent weeks. Please visit Lemay.com to find out more. 

About Lemay: Creative Intelligence. Collective Value.

Founded in 1957 as an architectural practice, Lemay is one of Canada’s leading integrated design services firms, merging architecture, urban design, interiors, landscape, engineering, sustainability and branding into a multidisciplinary and synergistic ensemble. With several offices worldwide and ranking 74th globally (World Architecture, 2017), Lemay is one of Canada’s most awarded firms, with over 350 awards and distinctions. A winner of the Canada’s Best Managed Companies program since 2013, it qualified for the program’s Gold Standard in 2017. Leveraging its unique blend of creativity, capacity and expertise, Lemay champions its clients’ aspirations, enhances users’ quality of life and strives to build a brighter future for our communities.  

[i] 1000 de la Gauchetière, realized in consortium with Dimakopoulos & Associates.

[ii] Bell Centre, realized in consortium with LeMoyne, Lapointe, Magne, Architectes.