Phyllis Barbara Lambert, C.C., G.O.Q., M.Arch., O.A.L., F.R.A.I.C., F.R.S.C., R.C.A., LL.D (née Bronfman, born January 24, 1927) is a Canadian philanthopist and member of the Bronfman family.
Born in Montreal, she studied at Vassar (BA-1948). She moved to France in 1949 and married Baron Jean Lambert, a banker and Rothschild cousin, but they divorced in 1954. She moved to New York City in 1954 and became involved in architecture; she graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1963. In the 1960s, she designed the Saidye Bronfman Centre in Montreal, named after her mother. Working with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe she was also influential in his two most successful skyscraper projects, the Seagram Building and the Toronto-Dominion Centre. In 1979, she founded the Canadian Centre for Architecture, a museum and research centre in Montreal with an international reputation. She has donated generously to the Centre, giving it 750,000 shares of Seagram. In 1990 she received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, Architecture from the Pratt Institute. In 1992, she was made Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France. She holds honorary degrees from some 26 universities in North America and in Europe. Her work includes:
- Seagram Building in New York with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (as director of planning).
- Restoration of the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles with Gene Summers (as developer).
- Toronto-Dominion Centre in Toronto with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (as consultant).
- Saidye Bronfman Centre in Montreal, Quebec with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
In 1985 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada, promoted to Officer in 1990, and promoted to Companion in 2001. In 1985, she was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec and was promoted to Grand Officer in 2005. In 2007 a documentary film about Lambert, , was released by Filmoption International. The movie was directed by Teri Wehn-Damisch.
See also
References
- Nicholas Faith, The Bronfmans: The Rise and Fall of the House of Seagram (2006).
- Kaptainis, Arthur. "Lambert's landmark birthday", The Gazette, 2007-01-25. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
