Montreal architect Claude Provencher dies at 72

Claude Provencher is seen in an undated handout photo. The Montreal-based architecture firm Provencher-Roy announced on their company website that principal architect and co-founder Claude Provencher died Friday, May 6. He was 72. (HO-Provencher_Roy)

Quebec architect Claude Provencher died Friday at the age of 72.

The firm Provencher_Roy, which he founded in 1983, made the announcement "with great sadness" in a statement Sunday.

A senior designer for four decades, the architect launched the firm alongside Michel Roy.

Provencher was the master builder behind the Montreal World Trade Center, which opened in 1992.

Also among his achievements are the J.-A. Desève Pavilion for the Université du Québec à Montréal, the reception pavilion for the Quebec National Assembly and the new Champlain bridge.

"As we trace the thread of his work, one thing becomes clear: where the metropolis inspired him, Claude Provencher gave back to it a hundredfold with beauty, delicacy and modesty," the statement read.

Provencher and his firm have received numerous awards for their work. He was named a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2014 and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2021.

"Passionate, enthusiastic, intuitive, constructive, emotional, Claude Provencher made an important contribution to our architectural heritage through his aestheticism, open-mindedness and unwavering commitment," the press release continued.

Claude Provencher is survived by his wife, Lucie Bouthillette, his children and his many relatives.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on May 8, 2022.