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Canadian housing pioneer and RAIC Gold Medalist Jerome Markson passes away at 94

2023-11-21T12:28:00-05:00

Jerome Markson, the 2022 RAIC Gold Medalist and modern social housing pioneer whose influence was felt widely across Canada, died in Toronto on Saturday, November 18, The Globe and Mail reported. He was 94 years old.

Markson will be remembered as a progressive architect who affected the post-1970s immigration boom in Greater Toronto through humane and uplifting designs for The Smith Residence (1955), Market Square Condominiums (1980), Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie (1962), and Alexandra Park Public Housing (1965), among others.

“His work epitomizes a deep caring towards those who will use and enjoy his projects as well as the communities in which they exist. Many architects will offer praise by referring to colleagues as an ‘architect’s architect’. Jerome Markson is certainly deserving of the title ‘planner’s architect’ — quite possibly a more difficult and exceptional achievement within the profession,” the jury citation for last year’s RAIC Gold Medal states concisely. ...

Progressive modernist Jerome Markson has been awarded the 2022 RAIC Gold Medal

2022-04-01T20:22:00-04:00

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada has announced Jerome Markson as its 2022 Gold Medal Winner. The Toronto-based modernist is well known throughout Canada for his award-winning designs and contributions to the fields of architectural education and design theory.

Markson’s social housing projects are often considered to be the basis for the development of what is now considered to be one of the most diverse cities in the world. His designs for healthcare facilities as well as cultural centers and further civic projects contributed a considerable amount to the visual language of his native country throughout his vaunted six-decade career.

Markson's Market Square Condominiums in Toronto. Image copyright Fiona Smith via RAIC.

Writing on the RAIC’s website, the jury commended Markson for his “lifelong commitment to humanism, inclusivity and generosity, teaching us valuable lessons about urban housing and its critical relationship to city building.”

“His work epitomizes a deep c...