herzog & de meuron reveals vancouver art gallery design

the first images of herzog & de meuron’s design for the vancouver art gallery’s new museum building have been revealed. the structure will contain the institution’s ever-expanding collection of works, advancing the canadian city’s reputation as an international center for contemporary art. the 310,000 square foot complex comprises 85,000 square feet of gallery space, doubling the institution’s current size. the building also features new educational facilities that include a 350-seat auditorium, various workshops and a resource center for research, library services and artist archives.

gallery courtyard
image © herzog & de meuron (also main image)

herzog & de meuron’s 230-foot-high design comprises seven publicly accessible floors, plus two below-grade levels for storage and parking. there is also additional space for future expansion. the building’s lower levels are mostly transparent, making many of the gallery’s internal activities visible. the upper storeys, which primarily house exhibition space, are more opaque, establishing a solid sculptural form. locally sourced wood will be used as the scheme’s primary material, evoking the architectural history of the region. by lifting the bulk of the structure high above the street, the design allows light and air to filter down to an active, open-air courtyard below.

gallery level 5 overlooking queen elizabeth plaza and downtown
image © herzog & de meuron

visitors will enter the gallery via the courtyard, which is framed by a continuous low-rise street front building and is accessible from all four sides. the cantilevered roofs of the low-rise structure and the main building offer ample covered outdoor space, while at the same time allowing sunlight to filter in during the spring and summer. as visitors ascend from the lobby, they will be able to access the auditorium, the restaurant with its large covered terrace that overlooks the city, and the main concourses leading up to exhibition galleries. the museum building is capped by an expansive rooftop gallery and terrace.

gallery lobby
image © herzog & de meuron

‘the urbanistic concept is based on the contrast between the low-rise framing along the street block and the taller and more sculptural building in the middle of an open and accessible garden and square,’ explained jacques herzog. ‘the low-rise wooden building along the street is inspired by how the streets in vancouver were built in earlier times. the modest, almost domestic scale will enhance the character of openness and visibility for everyone.’

‘the project for the new vancouver art gallery has a civic dimension that can contribute to the life and identity of the city, in which many artists of international reputation live and work,’ added christine binswanger, partner in charge for the gallery project. ‘it will be a powerful statement to construct this large building out of wood, a material with a long tradition in british columbia.’

west georgia street at night
image © herzog & de meuron

the gallery will raise an estimated $350 million canadian dollars from public and private sources, including a $50 million endowment to support the expanded cost of operation. in addition to private fundraising, it has received a $50 million gift from the province of british columbia and the generous donation of the larwill park site by the city of vancouver. the unveiling of the conceptual design of the gallery marks the launch of the public phase of the capital campaign. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.