Saving the City Fabric: Blanche Lemco van Ginkel and the Preservation of Old Montreal

Moises Carrasco — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The architectural history of North American cities in the 20th century is often characterized by the pursuit of urban renewal. In the United States, Boston, Portland, and San Francisco are just some examples of when municipal governments prioritized high-speed vehicular infrastructure over the existing urban fabric. In Canada, Montreal would have followed this trajectory if not for the intervention of several figures throughout its history, most notably Blanche Lemco van Ginkel (1923–2022). A Harvard-trained planner and architect who, along with her husband Sandy Van Ginkel, advocated for the preservation of urban heritage while applying the principles of modernist infrastructure.

City Dreamers Documentary Highlights Four Women Architects Who Rethought the City

Christele Harrouk — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 07:30:00 +0000

City Dreamers is a documentary by filmmaker Joseph Hillel that underlines the ever-changing city of tomorrow and the life and work of 4 women architects who reconsidered the urban environment. Phyllis Lambert, Denise Scott Brown, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Blanche Lemco van Ginkel are inspiring pioneers that observed and shaped the city of today and tomorrow.

Tag: blanche-lemco-van-ginkel | ArchDaily

Saving the City Fabric: Blanche Lemco van Ginkel and the Preservation of Old Montreal

City Dreamers Documentary Highlights Four Women Architects Who Rethought the City