Dan Hanganu
Encyclopedia
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born 27 January 1939) is a Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n-born Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. Based in Montreal, Quebec, he has designed a number of prominent Quebec buildings, including the new wing of the Pointe-à-Callière Museum
Pointe-à-Callière Museum
Pointe-à-Callière Museum is the Montreal museum of archaeology and history located in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in 1992 as part of celebrations to mark Montreal's 350th birthday...
, the HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal
HEC Montréal , is the independent affiliated business school of the Université de Montréal, and the oldest management School in Canada. It holds accreditations from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA, one of three schools in North America to hold triple accreditation in management education...
building, the concert Hall of Rimouski, the UQAM design school and several other mixed-use, commercial, residential and cultural buildings in Montreal, Europe and Asia. Hanganu has an impressive list of awards and publications to his credit including the Order of Canada, the Governor General's award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
and was also awarded the RAIC gold medal in 2008 for lifetime achievement.
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada , founded in 1907, is a Canadian association representing over 3,600 architects, and faculty and graduates of Canadian Schools of Architecture.RAIC is the voice for architecture and its practice in Canada...
in its announcement that the recipient of the 2008 RAIC Gold Medal is Dan S. Hanganu, FIRAC stated that in choosing Mr. Hanganu, the Gold Medal Selection Committee noted:
"Dan successfully transcends the professional and academic worlds as well as having an extensive body of internationally published articles and project reviews. He understands the impact that architecture can have on people; his work successfully balances function and feeling in a very strong “straight-forward” way."
Mr. Hanganu completed a degree in architecture at the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
in 1961, and arrived in Canada in 1970. He leads a diversified practice with projects ranging in scale from single-family houses to entire city blocks. Completed works include numerous housing projects of varying size and complexity, office buildings, hotels and resorts, multi-use complexes, institutional buildings, and several theatres. His wife Anca Hanganu is also an architect practising in Montreal.
Recognition
He has been personally recognized with the: Ordre national du Québec- officer (2005); Doctorat honoris causa en architecture from the Université Laval à Québec (2004); Prix Carrière Sam-Lapointe from the Institute of Design Montréal (2004); Doctorat honoris causa in architecture from the University of Bucharest (2003); Man of the year- Board of Trade of Metropolitan MontrealBoard of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is an association of businesses and businessmen in Greater Montreal. In its own words it serves as "the voice of the business community and of the people of Greater Montreal for all aspects of their economic growth and prosperity"....
(1998) and with the Prix Paul-Émile Borduas (1992).
He has more than 50 Architectural Awards to his credit, many from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Ordre des architectes du Québec
Ordre des architectes du Québec
The Ordre des architectes du Québec is a professional association representing architects in the Canadian province of Quebec. As of 2010, it claims more than 2,700 members....
(OAQ) and from preservation organizations such as Sauvons Montréal.
Project highlights include the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
The Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is a theatre company and venue located on rue Sainte-Catherine in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in , it launched with the classic play L'Avare by Molière....
, the Saint-Benoît-du-Lac Church, the UQAM Design Pavilion, the Cirque du Soleil studio, the Hautes Études Commerciales school, the Montréal Archival Centre, l’Anglicane de Lévis, the Rimouski Arts Centre, and residential areas in Val de l’Anse, rue de Gaspé, Crémazie, rue Quesnel, etc.
When the call for entries for The Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg was made only 30 of the world's most prolific architects, including Rem Koolhaas, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and others were invited. The Hanganu-Groupe ARCOP consortium went on to become the top three finalists in the competition, though the final design was awarded to American architect Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock
Antoine Predock is an American architect based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Antoine Predock is the Principal of Antoine Predock Architect PC. The studio was established in 1967...
.
The RAIC Gold Medal is awarded in recognition of significant contribution to Canadian architecture, and is the highest honour the profession of architecture in Canada can bestow. It recognizes an individual whose personal work has demonstrated exceptional excellence in the design and practice of architecture; and/or, whose work related to architecture, has demonstrated exceptional excellence in research or education.
In 2009, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
"for his contributions as an internationally renowned architect, and as a teacher and mentor".