Bank of Canada Atrium Threatened

Arthur Erickson's 1979 Bank of Canada building is being threatened by an upcoming renovation. 

The Bank of Canada is demolishing the current atrium in an effort to better use it as an informal space for bank employees. It will be replaced by a greatly reduced version, lacking a water feature, original plantings and undoubtedly Erickson's sensitivity. 

In a reversal of the spirit of the garden, it is also being closed to the public. 

Given the integral relationship between Erickson's buildings and the landscape it is a devastating move.

For more information see The Cultural Landscape Foundation's page.

Image: www.arthurerickson.com

Erickson's Home In Danger

Ongoing developments in the Erickson home and property saga.

Image: AEHG Foundation

John Fulker: Images of Architecture

John Fulker's career flourished alongside the Canadian architects whose work he captured: Barry Downs, Arthur Erickson and Clifford Wiens among others. In the process he created an invaluable visual record of architecture on the West Coast and beyond.

For the first time in thirty years his work will be exhibited at the West Vancouver Museum. Following the 2009 exhibition of Selwyn Pullan's work, "Images of Architecture" is another opportunity to reacquaint with a local legacy.

The exhibition opens on November 15th with a reception with the photographer and runs until January 14th, 2010. There is also a photographer's talk on December 3, 2011 at 1:30pm.

Photo: Graham Residence, John Fulker, 1967

Staples Residence

Erickson Massey's 1967 Staples residence in West Vancouver is currently for sale.

It sits next door to the old Graham residence location on Cliff Cove and takes advantage of a breathtaking waterfront site that looks up Howe Sound. As with many houses from the era, the lot is now considered 'under-built'–in developer parlance–and there is concern that the house will come down.

However, unlike the Graham residence, which was badly renovated and allowed to deteriorate, the Staples residence has had no modification over the years and remains in beautiful and original condition.

It shares a common DNA with the Smith and Graham houses in its post and beam-based spatial explorations and a material palette of cedar, glass and bush-hammered concrete. All three houses showcased Erickson's renowned ability to design for difficult sites.

Soaring beams shoot past floor to ceiling glass into the surrounding foliage. The house achieves a quiet but powerful drama through clarity of design and an intimacy with the site. A Japanese influence is felt in the austerity of the composition and elements such as shoji screens, sand-float stucco and a koi pond.

Landscaping was designed by Don Vaughan and focused on native plantings and bonsai trees which still cling doggedly to the craggy slope.

The Staples worked closely with Erickson Massey and project architect Bruno Freschi to achieve a stunning design that happily accommodated a family of four for decades. The home now needs a new custodian to imbue it with the vitality and appreciation that has been its hallmark.

Shannon Mews Approved

In a disappointing decision by city council, the proposed Shannon Mews development by Wall Financial has been greenlit.

After three nights of public hearings council voted 6-4 in favour despite the vocal opposition of many citizens. I attended the first night and the general tone of comments was not anti-development but rather that the scope of the current proposal was out of scale with the property and the neighborhood.

Furthermore, the heritage aspect of the plan focuses almost exclusively on the Rogers mansion, gatehouse and perimeter wall while ignoring the delicate siting that went into Erickson's mid-70's townhouses.

Photo: Arlen Redekop

Filberg House Tour

Continuing their excellent series on Vancouver architects and architecture, the West Vancouver Museum and Archives is offering a unique experience coming up in September: a tour of Arthur Erickson's 1958 Filberg Residence.

This much-published house is one of Erickson's earliest commissions and exhibits the arabesque tendencies that occasionally cropped up in his designs. It is a rarified pavilion that has a compelling, if heartbreaking story attached to it. Filberg commissioned the house but did not live to see its completion. His intention was that it become a meeting place for intellectuals and leaders, an ambitious vision that sadly never came to fruition. It was sold, eventually altered rather grotesquely and slipped into disrepair before a later owner fastidiously restored the house to its former glory.

Leaders and intellectuals presumably still don't congregate there, but the house remains a sublime work that sits on a high, south-facing bluff near Comox, looking out over the Straight of Georgia.

The West Vancouver Museum and Archives is offering a day trip to the house or an extended overnight package which allows visitors to experience it at dusk. The trip is being guided by photographer Simon Scott who worked closely with Erickson and photographed his buildings for the essential 1975 Tundra book "The Architecture of Arthur Erickson."

See the Museum and Archives website for details of the tour as well as other upcoming Erickson-related events.

Image: Christopher Erickson www.arthurerickson.com

The Modern House on Tour

The West Vancouver Museum and Archives is hosting its annual West Coast Modern House Tour tomorrow (Saturday July 10, 2010).

There's a nice crop of houses: RJ Thom's 1957 Southworth Residence (profiled earlier on Vancouver Lights); a 1964 Barry Downs and Fred Hollingsworth house (purchased by the Helliwell/Smith and subsequently renovated); Russell Hollingsworth's own home; the 1954 Erickson-designed Stegeman Residence, renovated by Brian Hemingway; and Erickson's iconic Smith Residence II (pictured above).

See today's Globe + Mail for a tour profile by Adele Weder.

Photo: Ezra Stoller/Esto www.esto.com

Thom + Erickson: North Shore Residential

Two houses currently for sale in West Vancouver showcase the unique residential approaches of two of the city's most prominent architects from the last century.

Ron Thom's 1957 Southworth Residence and Arthur Erickson's 1963 Bayles Residence both spring from the heyday of West Coast Modernism and display an integral connection to the rugged North Shore landscape.

Thom's house sits prominently on a rock outcropping with an expansive view to the water. Rather than heavily blast the site, Thom wrapped the house around the rock, its foundation following the contours. Wood and stone are used on the interior and exterior and bring a continuity to the structure.

As suggested by the site, the plan is highly irregular and angular, displaying an intimacy that is typical of Thom's early houses. At 2100 sq. ft., the footprint is modest and the scale is human.

Inside, the ceilings find all kinds of angles and odd corners that come together like intricate wooden origami. The influence of Wright is apparent in the layout and the stone-faced hearth that dominates the main living area and wraps around to the front entrance.

Thom once famously said a building should "make love to a site", a comment which suits the Southworth Residence just fine. The house remains in excellent condition with much of its original character intact.

Erickson's Bayles Residence shares similar programmatic concerns with the Southworth and, at 1800 sq. ft., is even smaller.

The house is built on a steep site with a rock bluff looking out over the water. Erickson has incorporated the rock, but instead built on top of it, as if just lightly placing the structure down on the site.

This house anticipates the more refined 1964 Smith Residence with a stepped plan that makes use of the topography: stretching one part of the house between two rocky peaks resulting in varying levels.

Like Thom's work, the scale is intimate and human with a limited material palette that includes wood (some sourced from the site), recycled brick, stucco and glass.

The two houses show different approaches while still respecting the importance of the site. Erickson's use of glass is more generous and his design has a cerebral calm and clarity about it. Thom's work on the other hand feels more complex, intricate and affecting.

Both architects would go on to larger works but there's an economy of scale and integrity of materials that give these places a timeless quality. There are very few grand gestures, just many unpretentious, thoughtfully executed moves that come together in a compelling and satisfying way. More than anything it is this aesthetic that remains relevant.

Binning In West Vancouver

West Vancouver Museum and Archives is currently showing two exhibits based around B.C. Binning and his work.

The first is a collection of greeting cards created by Don Jarvis, Arthur Erickson, Gordon Smith and Binning among others that explores the social relationships between local artists and architects.

The second exhibit draws on Binning works from the WVMA collection, and focuses largely on his line drawing period from the 1940's.

Both exhibitions run until December 23rd, 2009.

Shannon Mews

Shannon Mews, the 10 acre site at the corner of Granville and 57th looks set for eventual redevelopment.

The Wall Financial Corporation has applied to rezone the property from RS-6 to CD-1 and has begun public consultations on the process. In an August 25, 2009 Policy Report, the city gives tacit approval of the project as long as certain criteria are met. The site is a prime candidate for the city's Eco-Density program, with Busby, Perkins & Will on board to create a development that has more rental housing, achieves LEED Gold status, and uses solar energy and efficient water strategies.

The site has an interesting development history, dating back to the early 20th century when the Rogers family built the original and still existing Beax-Arts mansion, gardens and perimeter wall. The mansion and wall are now designated "A" status heritage structures and will be incorporated into any future master plan.

In the early 1970's the site was rezoned to allow 162 rental units to be built. Curiously, there is no mention in the Policy Report of the historic value of these units or of their designer, Arthur Erickson. The report offers a recommendation that "a rezoning application for the entire site provides a good opportunity for the City to ensure that rental units are replaced or increased."

Much like another project Busby, Perkins & Will are involved in, this seems like an opportunity for an architectural dialogue that traces Vancouver's modern development history. Perhaps there is a plan that would retain the mansion as well as a portion of the Erickson-designed rental units and incorporate them into one cohesive vision that would align with the city's Eco-Density plans and the changing nature of residential housing.

Erickson and Japan

The Arthur Erickson Conservancy is presenting a lecture exploring Erickson's formative travel to Japan in 1961.

In 2009, Texas-based Architecture Professor Michelangelo Sabatino retraced Erickson's visit to the country to explore its influence on the Canadian architect. Sabatino will present his findings in an illustrated talk and Q & A session at 7pm on November 25, 2009 at the Vancity Theatre + Atrium.

Considering the deep impression left on Erickson by his early travels, and Japan in particular, it should be an engaging talk.

For further information, contact Cheryl Cooper at info@arthurericksonconservancy.com

Erickson Memorial

A memorial service for Arthur Erickson will be held Sunday, June 14 at SFU's Convocation Mall. See Erickson's website for full details. 

Arthur Erickson, 1924-2009

Following a remarkable career spanning Vancouver's modern history, one of the great Canadian and west coast architects has died. 

Arthur Erickson passed away today in Vancouver at the age of 84. The Globe & Mail has a brief article, with a full obituary forthcoming.

Born in Vancouver, Erickson travelled widely and, similarly to Louis Kahn, had a deep respect for classical forms and architectural history that was transformed into a singular modernist vision. His work later spanned the globe but he maintained a home base in Vancouver, occupying a modest home in Point Grey for over fifty years. 

Sean Rossiter called Erickson "the supreme cultural personality ever to emerge in this city" and though that is arguably less true now than in the mid-nineties when Rossiter's article appeared- having less to do with any diminishing influence of Erickson's and more to do with the inevitable rise of other prominent cultural figures- it is still a persuasive assessment. Rossiter goes on to say that "such a figure is usually the culmination of a slow, time-consuming process of gradual development". 

That certainly fits with Erickson's working life and his intimate relationship with this city, which remained active up until very recently. One of his last projects- the Ritz-Carlton in Vancouver- was a casualty of the recent economic malaise but remains 'on hold'.

We'll raise a cup tonight in celebration of a full life and linger a moment longer in the days ahead over the familiar Erickson-designed structures that populate our city.

Museum of Anthropology

After a 6 month closure for renovations, the Museum of Anthropology is set to reopen tomorrow (Sunday March 7). Though from the sounds of it they are cutting it close to the wire as far as completion goes. Such is the way with any substantial renovation however.

The museum's website details many of the changes and alterations to the facility – one that has not been substantially altered since it was built 30 years ago. The good news is Erickson consulted on the redesign by Noel Best of Stantec Architecture.

The reopening will be a welcome return to Vancouver's cultural scene.

Modernist Realty

Vancouver realtor Jan Alexander has recently begun to focus on Modern properties in Vancouver. Currently she is offering the 1982 Hwang Residence, designed by Arthur Erickson. The house is virtually hidden behind a fence/green wall along a busy road - a divide that gives way inside to a pond-like water feature and mature gardens designed by Cornelia Oberlander. Noteworthy is the fact that in the early 1980's Erickson was designing very few residential commissions, focusing instead on larger projects that were on his plate, and so the house is a rare example of his work on a smaller scale from that time. It is also an example of the Erickson/Oberlander dynamic writ small.