Posted Dec 2, 2020, 6:21 AM
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West Coast architecture legend Geoffrey Massey dies at age 96
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Geoffrey Massey’s legacy can be seen all over Vancouver.
As Arthur Erickson’s architectural partner in the 1960s and early ’70s, he helped design local icons like Simon Fraser University and the MacMillan Bloedel Building.
As a Vancouver city councillor with Art Phillips and TEAM in 1972, he was part of a political movement that put a stop to freeways and redeveloped the south side of False Creek from industrial to residential.
He was even one of the early owners, architects and developers at Whistler in the 1960s.
Massey died Tuesday morning from pneumonia in a hospice near Lion’s Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. He was 96.
His life story could have been scripted by Hollywood. In fact, his father, Raymond Massey, was a movie star, his uncle Vincent was Canada’s governor-general from 1952-59, and his family founded the farm-equipment giant Massey-Harris, which became Massey-Ferguson.
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Raymond Massey moved to the U.S. in 1939, and Geoffrey came with him. Geoffrey joined the Canadian Army when he turned 18, training as a paratrooper.
At one point, he passed through Vancouver en route to visit his dad in Beverly Hills, where he lived.
“He bookmarked this place,” said Stanford. “ ‘I’m coming back.’ ”
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In 1963, Massey and Erickson teamed up to submit a bid to design a new university atop Burnaby Mountain. Their design for Simon Fraser University was so futuristic that the future still hasn’t caught up to their design, and their partnership flourished.
Architect Bruno Freschi worked at Erickson Massey in their 1960s’ heyday.
“Geoff was particularly generous (to other architects),” said Freschi. “He was great. He stayed in the background and took care of things, and always supported the creative ideas. He was a great inspiration to everybody at Erickson Massey.”
Freschi loved going to parties at Massey’s Whytecliff home, a stunning modern structure with a glass pyramid above the central living room and breathtaking views of Howe Sound. It even had a white marble courtyard, made from marble salvaged during the demolition of the historic Vancouver Opera House/International Cinema on Granville Street.
“When they tore down the theatre where Pacific Centre is now, we went out and took out all the great big sheets of white marble from the bathrooms, the urinals,” said Freschi, with a laugh. “It was Geoff’s father, Raymond Massey, who came down with us and said, ‘Take everything, take everything!’ Recovering old pieces of Vancouver.”
The Erickson Massey partnership ended in 1972.
“My father had a family and Arthur did not, and it seemed they were just diverging in their careers,” said Stanford. “But there was never any ill feeling between them.”
In his own practice, Massey mostly worked on private homes.
“He designed a round house for a client on Hernando Island,” said Stanford. “Half of it is a stone wall and half is wood and glass, looking out to sea. It’s a lovely house and is so unique — there isn’t another one like it.”
Massey sold his Whytecliff home around 1988 and retired from architecture in 1991. His wife died in 2011. He was also predeceased by two siblings (Daniel and Anna) who stayed in Britain and became successful actors. He is survived by his four children, Eliza, Raymond, Vincent and Nathaniel.
On Sept. 10, 2006, Geoffrey Massey, left, joined others feting former architectural partner Arthur Erickson at the Law Courts.
Photo by Malcolm Parry /Vancouver Sun
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