For Star’s new album, The North we wanted to touch on the many different visions of the North. From utopian architecture and run down small towns to sweeping open landscapes. The design identity started with the album art, focusing on the iconic Habitat 67. Built as a pavilion as part of Montreal’s Expo ’67, Saftie’s experimental housing project has embodied a particular moment of Canada’s projected identity. Other locations such as Ontario Place, the Montreal Olympic Stadium, and Biosphere were also mixed throughout the artwork. Today, these architectural exercises represent an idealized vision of communal life and the built environment, as well the eventual failure to follow through. Forms without function.
