This publication examines the formation and evolution of the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) through a collection of oral histories conducted since the early 2000s with key figures in the history of the institution—including directors, curators, board members, and archive donors. Founded at a moment when several other architecture museums emerged in response to urgent concerns about heritage preservation, the CCA developed a distinct model grounded in a combination of archiving, researching, and curating with a view to influencing public awareness on the role of architecture in society. The book reconstructs the evolution of the institution’s mission and programming, from an early focus on collecting and safeguarding architectural records to recent exhibitions and research initiatives that address pressing questions affecting contemporary society. By focusing on the CCA, this project aims to reflect on the social contribution of cultural institution and their influence on public discourse.

Albert Ferré is the CCA’s associate director, publications since 2012. He oversees the CCA’s print and electronic publishing program, along with its online editorial platform and the CCA Bookstore. He is coeditor of the book series The Museum Is Not Enough (copublished with Sternberg Press in 2019 and Lenz in 2025) and editor of the CCA Singles, small books that showcase the diversity of voices shaping the institution’s programming. He studied architecture in Barcelona and at Frankfurt’s Städelschule and held several editorial positions at Actar Publishers (Barcelona/New York), the Prince Claus Fund Library (Amsterdam), and Quaderns (Barcelona).

Martien de Vletter joined the CCA in 2012 as associate director, collection. She is responsible for the acquisition strategy, descriptions of and access to the collection, and collection management and care. De Vletter was heavily invested in the strategy for acquiring and preserving born-digital archives and making these archives accessible for research. She works on projects related to critical cataloguing and reparative descriptions as well as post-custodial models for archival collections. She studied architectural history in Amsterdam, worked at the Netherlands Architecture Institute (1996–2008), as a chief curator for the last five years, and was publisher of SUN Architecture Publishers Amsterdam (2008–12).

The Canadian Centre for Architecture is an international research center and museum founded in 1979 on the conviction that architecture is a public concern. The institution is a leading voice in advancing knowledge, promoting public understanding and expanding thought and debate on architecture, its history, theory and practice, and its role in society today.