Part of:

People:

Kuwabara Payne Mckenna Blumberg Architects (archive creator)

Title:

Vancouver Public Library Competition, British Columbia (1991)

Date:

1991-1992

Level of archival description:
Project

Extent and medium:

526 drawings (including 17 reprographic copies)
13 paintings (including 1 reproduction)
6 photographs
1 model with battery
0.001 l.m. of textual records

Scope and content:
This project series documents a competition entry for the Vancouver Public Library in Vancouver from 1991-1992. The office identified the project number as 69112.

The competition entry, submitted in 1991, consisted of the design of Vancouver's new public library, to be situated on the block between Homer, Georgia, Hamilton and Robson Streets. The project design included a seven-floor library connected by a walkway to an adjacent twenty-floor office tower that would house Public Works Canada. Both buildings had V shaped canopies on their roofs that looked like open books when viewed at an elevation. To the front of the library at ground level was the two-storey Library Concourse; a large hall made of glass windows and stone. The Concourse connected to the Robson Street entrance, and the Library Hall entrance at the corner of Homer and Georgia Streets. The architects described this as a porch-like space to be used for gatherings, public events, exhibits and displays. Moving into the heart of the library, patrons would pass through a cylindrical rotunda which extended upwards through every floor and above the roof terrace. The library would also have 2 levels of underground parking and a basement level with a circular theatre, concession areas and staff work areas. The ground floor would primarily consist of library stacks and tables but also included would be a gift shop, children's area, daycare, staff spaces, and an outdoor play area. The remaining floors were designated for library stacks, staff work areas and services. The top floor would hold administrative offices, built in a U shape around a large terrace. The terrace, complete with gardens, could be used for library events. This building would largely be made of glass windows at its exterior, with a round glass rotunda piercing through its rectangular shape.

This project was never built. Although Kuwabara, Payne, McKenna, Blumberg Architects were finalists in this competition, the contract was eventually won and built by architect Moshe Safdie.

The project is recorded through drawings, presentation panels, paintings, photographs and a model dating from 1991-1992. The drawings, which are mostly originals, include sketches, plans, sections, elevations, perspectives and isometrics. There are a number of watercolours (some mounted) and drawing panels used as presentation materials which have small texts about the project's design intention. The aquisition records for the 1993 donation of these project materials identify Michael McCann as the artist of 7 paintings in this project series; however it is not clear which 7 paintings were completed by this artist. The photographs show the completed project model, which is also contained in this project series.

Reference number:

AP056.S1.1991.PR01

Arrangement:
Materials in this project series were arranged by design phase during an earlier treatment of this fonds. Materials have now been compiled from different accessions and some have been arranged by material type.

Location:

Vancouver British Columbia Canada