ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the heritage values attributed to Moderne architectural design in 1930s apartment buildings in Canadian cities and explores the legacy of those buildings as solutions to the problem of affordable rental housing. It describes the legacy of 1930s apartment building, focusing on historiography, housing policy, and the definitions of luxury and efficiency types. The chapter addresses the possible expansion of our approach to inventories of urban housing as a reflection of the expanded social stories and values embedded in these apartment buildings. At a 1994 conference on Art Deco in Canada and France, architect and historian France Vanlaethem provided some insight into the breadth of Moderne heritage in Montreal—including the many buildings in neighborhoods developed in the 1930s. A greater awareness of the evolving social status of Moderne apartment buildings in the 1930s can enrich understanding of their architectural significance. Other features that are more specifically relevant to the Moderne era could be identified and given greater prominence.
