Abstract
Phyllis Lambert is best known for her instrumental role in the commissioning of Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram building and for founding and directing the Centre Canadien d’Architecture (CCA). This essay traces the wide variety of ways she has contributed to architectural culture, as a client, as an architect, a developer and as an activist, for example. All her initiatives were driven by her sense of responsibility as an architect, a motivation that stems from her understanding of architecture’s significance in the making of the city and of society. Rather than advancing her own interests, her diverse efforts have always been directed at enabling the creation of high-quality architecture, from a belief in its importance to (urban) culture and society.
