The Ismaili Centre
4010 Canada Way, Burnaby
Celebrate 40 remarkable years of the Ismaili Centre Vancouver - a landmark of dialogue, diversity, and community - and a welcoming space for spiritual reflection, intellectual engagement, and cultural exchange since 1985. This milestone celebration will feature a fireside Chat at 1 p.m. with Bruno Freschi, the visionary architect behind the Centre. Read more.

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get Tickets Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Please note:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

• There will be extended walking and standing for the full duration of the tour

• We ask you leave your pets and strollers at home

• Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

• The tour will be offered rain or shine! If we do get some liquid sunshine, rain jackets are preferred to umbrellas due to group size and navigating the sidewalks

** We will be releasing tickets one month at a time, please check back the last week of the month for the release of the next months tickets!

If you have any questions, please reach out to tours@architecturefoundationbc.ca.

TICKETS HERE.

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Please note:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

• There will be extended walking and standing for the full duration of the tour

• We ask you leave your pets and strollers at home

• Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

• The tour will be offered rain or shine! If we do get some liquid sunshine, rain jackets are preferred to umbrellas due to group size and navigating the sidewalks

** We will be releasing tickets one month at a time, please check back the last week of the month for the release of the next months tickets!

If you have any questions, please reach out to tours@architecturefoundationbc.ca.

TICKETS HERE.

West Coast Modern Week Concert: Jillian Lebeck Trio

Sunday, July 13 , 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Join us for an intimate Sunday afternoon concert in the Library’s Main Hall, featuring Jillian Lebeck on grand piano, Maafu Keteca on saxophone, and Kody Buchart on bass. This trio will explore jazz from the Great American Songbook, with a few original compositions thrown in.

Canadian jazz pianist, composer, and vocalist Jillian Lebeck is one of the most dynamic and exciting voices on the Canadian jazz scene. Her debut recording “Living in Pieces” (Maximum Jazz/Universal) spent several weeks in the number 1 position on the national Chart Attack radio charts. She is an alumnus of the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Her projects have been featured on CBC Radio’s Studio One Jazz Series during the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and she has received regular airplay on CBC’s “Hot Air”, “After Hours”, l’espace musique, The Signal, KPLU, and NPR. She was recently a jury member for CARAS JUNO Awards.

Presented in partnership with the West Vancouver Art Museum, this event is part of West Coast Modern Week, July 8 – 13. Learn more about the week’s events HERE.

This event is made possible thanks to a generous bequest in support of music at the Library from the estate of Robert Leslie Welsh through the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation.

This concert is sponsored by 

Event details:

• Seating is by general admission and available after 1:30 p.m.

• Free event with no ticketing.

If you require assistance with a mobility aide, please email Taren Urquhart at turquhart@westvanlibrary.ca to discuss seating arrangements for this event.

West Coast Modern Week After Party

July 12, 2025, 4—6 p.m.

Cost: $30.00

Tickets: Available here. 

Location: Eagle Harbour Yacht Club, 5750 Eagle Harbour Rd, West Vancouver, BC

Join us for the West Coast Modern Week After Party. Celebrate the end of this eventful week over wine, refreshments and stunning ocean views from Eagle Harbour Yacht Club.

Supported by The Compelling Opportunities Fund of the West Vancouver Foundation. 

The 19th Annual West Coast Modern Home Tour

July 12, 2025, 12—4 p.m.

Cost: $160.00 - $180.00

Tickets:

Bus: $180. Available here.
Bus (led in Mandarin): $180. Available here. 
Self-drive: $160. Available here.  

Since the first West Coast Modern Home Tour in 2006, we have celebrated more than 70 unique architectural gems, both original mid-century and contemporary architect-designed homes, here in West Vancouver. Enjoy a tour to this year’s featured homes:

- Taylor Residence, designed by Daniel Evan White, 1983
- Rayer Residence, designed by Barry Downs and Fred Hollingsworth, 1964 
- Forrest-Baker Residence, designed by Ron Thom and Dick Mann, 1962
- Montiverdi Estates, designed by Arthur Erickson Architects, 1979-1982
- Eastwood-Seth Residence, designed by CBK Van Norman, 1954

The Home Tour will be followed up by an After Party at the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club. Tickets for the After Party are sold separately. 

Locations and times:

Check-In: 10:30–11:30 a.m.: West Vancouver Municipal Hall, 750 17th St, West Vancouver, BC
Bus pick-up: 11:45 a.m.: West Vancouver Art Museum, 680 17th St, West Vancouver, BC 
Tour: 12–4 p.m.: Home addresses will be given to ticketholders on the day of the event. 
Bus drop-off: 4 p.m.: All buses will end the tour at the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club at 4 p.m. A shuttle will run from the yacht club to the West Vancouver Art Museum from 4-6 p.m.

Accessibility note: Please note that access to some of these homes involves long walks and long, steep walkways and stairs, and may present challenges for individuals who have limitations in movement or mobility. 

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Please note:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.

• There will be extended walking and standing for the full duration of the tour

• We ask you leave your pets and strollers at home

• Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult

• The tour will be offered rain or shine! If we do get some liquid sunshine, rain jackets are preferred to umbrellas due to group size and navigating the sidewalks

** We will be releasing tickets one month at a time, please check back the last week of the month for the release of the next months tickets!

If you have any questions, please reach out to tours@architecturefoundationbc.ca.

TICKETS HERE.

Film Screening | Annual Barry Downs Lecture Series

July 10, 2025, 7—8:30 p.m.

Cost: $25.00 - $30.00

Standard $30 | Senior $25 | Under 30 $25

Tickets: Available here.

Location: Kay Meek Arts Centre, Grosvenor Theatre, Main Theatre, 1700 Mathers Ave, West Vancouver, BC

This two-part event includes the film screening of Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between The Lines and the Annual Barry Downs Lecture Series: The Architecture of Encounter, with Dr. Jeff Derksen.

Film Screening: Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between The Lines

Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between The Lines chronicles the untold personal and professional triumphs and tragedies of one of the most captivating modernist architects of the 20th Century.
The film delves into the life and work of Arthur Erickson, a visionary architect first in Canada and ultimately throughout the world. With intimate interviews, unseen archival footage, and an exploration of his architectural masterpieces, the film weaves together the complexities of Erickson's personal and professional life. It reveals a man who transcended traditional boundaries, who fused art, culture, and nature and in the process, redefined modern architecture.

Annual Barry Downs Lecture Series: The Architecture of Encounter, with Dr. Jeff Derksen

Using the film, Arthur Erickson: Beauty Between the Lines, Dr. Jeff Derksen will approach Erickson's architecture through the concept of the encounter. Informed by his travels as an architectural student, and shaped by an optimistic 1960s moment in Canadian culture, Erickson's expansive imagination sought to bring together architectural elements from many cultures and to structure his building as spaces of encounter. The architectural encounter with the site of his buildings brings not only a sensitivity to place and the nuances of a terrain — natural or built -- but it also sets up a deeper encounter between the building, the site, and the inhabitant.  In his educational buildings, Erickson pushed forward a radical architecture that set up the encounter between different forms of knowledges, trying to eliminate the separation of the arts, science, and other academic disciplines. Drawing on his imagination of education as an understanding of the world and the student as a citizen whose own imagination can be taken in many directions — even unpredicted directions — by encounters with culture, with other students, and with the world, Erickson's educational buildings are important architectural reminders of education as a journey and as a right. Lastly, Erickson's public buildings all aimed at bringing the urban encounter into the possibility of the building, where the possibility of meeting and spending time was structured into the plan of the building and its site.

About the Speaker

Jeff Derksen’s research and creative work resides in the intersection of poetry and urbanism. His poetry books include Future Works, The Vestiges, and Transnational Muscle Cars. His critical books include After Euphoria and How High is the City, How Deep is Our Love. With the collective Urban Subjects, he has co-edited The Militant Image Reader and Autogestion: Henri Lefebvre in New Belgrade. As a curator, he brought The Vienna Model: Housing for the 21st Century to the Museum of Vancouver. A former research fellow at the Centre for Place, Culture and Politics at The Graduate Center, CUNY, Derksen is a professor at Simon Fraser University and lives in Vancouver and Vienna.

A West Vancouver Art Museum and Kay Meek Arts Centre co-presentation.

Supported by The Compelling Opportunities Fund of the West Vancouver Foundation. 

Pre-eminent Canadian architect John Patkau joins the West Coast Modern League, with the West Vancouver Art Museum and The Polygon Gallery, for a talk exploring the creation of architecture and design through unconventional material practice. Part of West Coast Modern Week 2025.

Founded by John and Patricia Patkau, Vancouver-based Patkau Architects is one of Canada’s most celebrated architecture firms. Their recent designs include the Audain Art Museum in Whistler, Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver, and Arbour House in Victoria.

In 2010, following 30 years of conventional material practice, Patkau Architects initiated a formal research program into using commonly available construction materials with modest but unconventional construction methods to produce buildable, expressive forms with inherent structural capacity and evocative identities.

Working directly with materials—bending and breaking them, feeling their texture, mass, and strength—provides a depth of understanding beyond simple visual observation. Material Operations begin with a relatively simple manipulation of a specific construction material and develop through reactions to the resulting transformation. At the most basic level, they follow the formula Material + Force = Form. Initial forms are found, not preconceived, in the way a specific material expresses stress through strain—flexing or failing in particular ways.

Now 15 years on, this investigation has produced numerous innovative projects, and the Princeton Architectural Press publication Patkau Architects: Material Operations. The journey of this investigation will be the focus of John’s presentation.

URL / Link: https://westcoastmodern.org/events/material-operations/

Location: The Polygon Gallery, 101 Carrie Cates Ct., North Vancouver, BC

West Coast Modern Week Launch Party

July 8, 2025, 6—8 p.m.

Cost: $20.00

Tickets: Available here. 

Location: West Vancouver Art Museum, 680 17th St, West Vancouver, BC 

Join us for a fundraising party on Tuesday, July 8th, from 6 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the launch of West Coast Modern Week. Enjoy an evening with live DJ, wine and refreshments to start this eventful week!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

Join Women in Architecture (WIA) for an insightful and fun evening of networking and dialogue in the Inform showroom. We will be joined by Melissa Higgs (Principal, HCMA) and Molly Steeves (Associate, DIALOG) who will explore how architecture and public engagement create spaces that connect people and enhance community life. Their conversation will dive into the importance of community centres as public spaces and in fostering inclusivity, accessibility, and meaningful engagement for all people.

Event Details
Date: June 18
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
• 5:30–6:30 PM – Networking
• 6:30–7:30 PM – Talk
Location: Inform Interiors, 50 Water Street, Vancouver
Speakers: Melissa Higgs (HCMA) & Molly Steeves (DIALOG)
AIBC Credits: 1 LU approved
Admission: $10 via Zeffy
Please register only if you can commit to attending. Cancellations within 48 hours of the event are non-refundable.

About the Speakers

Melissa Higgs is a Principal at HCMA, known for award-winning projects like the West Vancouver Community Centre and Clayton Community Centre—North America’s first Passive House-certified facility of its kind. Her work centers on creating dynamic, inclusive public buildings that foster community.

Molly Steeves is a planner and engagement specialist whose people-first approach draws from a background in the arts, education, and non-profits. Through thoughtful facilitation and inclusive dialogue, she helps communities play a central role in shaping their built environments.

Whether you're a designer, planner, or simply passionate about better cities, this event offers inspiration and practical insight into building stronger, more connected communities through design.

RSVP Here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) is excited to announce the launch of a walking tour program through Vancouver's downtown, highlighting key infrastructure that makes Vancouver what it is today, and discussing the role architects and planners have on building a good city.

The AFBC has been working on revamping and modernizing tours that were once hosted through the Architecture Institute of British Columbia (AIBC). We ran a small pilot program during Design Vancouver Festival 2024 and have been working diligently to build it into a full summer program.

Each tour is roughly two-hours in length, beginning at the Street Light sculpture at the roundabout on Marinaside Cresent and will end at the Vancouver Public Library. Look for the AFBC Banner and two tour guides waiting for you!

Get tickets here!

The Architectural Institute of B.C. is hosting AIBC PD Day 2025 on May 14!

This one-day virtual professional development event provides learning opportunities for architectural professionals in a streamlined format. Attendees can join virtually from across the province and country to learn about topics impacting today’s professional practice. The event will kick off with a Plenary Presentation titled “The Power of the Pen” – following the plenary, more than 10 sessions will be taking place over three tracks. The sessions will explore a range of topics shaping the profession of architecture, including: Innovation & Technology; Sustainability & Climate Action; Indigenous Peoples Learning; and Community & Social Advocacy.

Early bird rates are only available until April 4, 2025. Registration is now open – don’t miss out!  

May 14 — July 19, 2025

OPENING RECEPTION: Tuesday, May 13, 6-8 p.m.

About the exhibition

Patkau Architects are known for their innovative and deeply thoughtful approach to architecture, with a particular attention to light and its role in shaping spaces. The use of light often reveals the unique characteristics of a place, enhancing the connection between architecture and its surroundings. Light can influence the perception of space and the sensory experience of a building and its materials. In this exhibition, light, a material source determined by the interplay of materials such as wood, steel, and concrete, becomes a performative source of the architecture it represents. The movement of light throughout the day changes the representation of the materials. 

The projects selected for this exhibition often emphasize the relationship between natural light and the built environment by considering how light interacts with materials and forms to create atmosphere and evoke emotional responses. In a way, the light performs with the built material to add visual layering to the structure.

We can enjoy being in these buildings and not know exactly why. Nevertheless, recognizing the consciously constructed relationship between the ephemeral qualities of light and the more solid materials employed by the architects is essential to our understanding of the multiple layers that make up these structures. By using light to define materials such as steel, wood, and concrete, the Patkaus initiate an ongoing and active interplay between the built environment and its natural context.
 

About the artists

Patkau Architects, founded in 1978 by John and Patricia Patkau, is a Canadian architecture and design research practice led by four principals, three senior associates, and two associates, all supported by a team of architects, designers, and administrative staff.

Working together with shared goals and ideas developed over the past 47 years, this team has led the studio on a great diversity of projects. Their portfolio comprises art installations and furniture, houses, medium-scaled community buildings, and major urban buildings. The commitment to the search for 'found potential' - those aspects of place, culture, and its people that can be gathered into an architectural form evocative of locale, circumstance, history, and landscape - is the through-line that distinguishes their work.

Patkau Architects also apply the search for found potential to materials themselves, looking for new ways to shape and combine familiar materials to explore new possibilities and applications. A guiding principle in this work is 'material + force = form', where form is simultaneously material, space and structure. Their studio’s design lab tests these ideas at full scale, both in-house and in workshops around Vancouver, conducting experiments that inform and inspire their building-scale work. Patkau Architects Material Operations, their most recent book, is a compendium of these research innovations (Princeton Architectural Press, 2017).

Deriving from this combination of architecture and research, Patkau Studio has emerged as a way to bring their deep fascination with materials, form, and craft into greater focus and accessibility.  Art and furniture ideas often emerge concurrently with architectural designs. Each piece develops out of an experimental process by which every detail is considered and refined, the design evolving through making. Their aim is to enrich spaces with elegant and articulate objects that invite visual, tactile, and emotional engagement, all made in-house in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Patterson Rozee Family Foundation.

A 'startling' sight when built in 1936, St. James' Anglican Church would later be considered “the best building in Vancouver” by Arthur Erickson, one of Canada's most esteemed architects. Little is known about the Anglo-Canadian collective that shaped this bold example of early modernist architecture in the city, let alone how financing it was possible during the Depression. Even less obvious is how this building renewed the city's Anglican 'mother church' amidst a thriving centre of Vancouver's Japanese community. Drawing on archival research, architect and historian Elisabeth Kwan offers intriguing new perspectives about the transformation of this building's identity from local church to city landmark.

URL / Link: https://stjames.bc.ca/event/public-talk-the-sceptre-and-the-sakura

Location: 303 East Cordova Street

Join us for a talk by Hossein Amanat, founder of Amanat Architect and recipient of an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from UBC in 2024. A reception, sponsored by Bosa Development, will follow the talk. This talk is free, and all are welcome to attend. Your RSVP is appreciated but not required. 

March 24, 2025 from 5:00–7:00pm

Reception + Visiting Speaker
Presented by the West Coast Modern League
Hosted by Inform Interiors | 50 Water Street, Vancouver, BC
Reception at 5:00pm | Presentation at 6:00pm

The West Coast Modern League with Inform Interiors presents Toronto-based Siamak Hariri, architect of the soon-to-open Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus.

Siamak Hariri is founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, a 150-person firm now in its fourth decade of practice in Toronto. His portfolio comprises cultural, academic, healthcare, spiritual, and residential projects throughout Canada and abroad. The firm has won more than 100 awards, including five Governor General’s Medals in Architecture and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s (RAIC) Architectural Firm Award and Innovation in Architecture Award.

To every creative project, Siamak brings a profound interest in light, form, site, material, and craft, through which he has delivered admired and transformative architectural design.

Among his many notable works are the Bahá’í Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile; the Tom Patterson Theatre at the Stratford Festival; and Casey House and the BARLO MS Centre in Toronto.

Current projects include OpenROM, a reimagining of the Royal Ontario Museum, and the soon-to-open Marianne and Edward Gibson Art Museum at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby, BC campus.

Siamak lives in Toronto with his wife, artist Sasha Rogers, and their three children; Lua, Yasmin, and David.  

Register here.