Aquatic Centres

RE/CREATION: FROM AQUATIC CENTRE TO AQUATIC COMMUNITIES 

The Vancouver Aquatic Centre, built on traditional, unceded MST (Musqueam Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations) territory, is in the early stages of a renewal process by the City of Vancouver. Informed by the Vancouver Aquatics Strategy, the future Vancouver Aquatic Centre will be part of a larger community plan for the West End Waterfront. 

This year, the Arts Umbrella Summer Architecture Intensive program is centred around the Vancouver Aquatic Centre. In this program, twelve students are exploring the local history of the site, the current intersections between global issues like sea level rise and the role of public spaces for social connection, and the ways in which design and community engagement can be used to address these issues. Students are encouraged to consider the ways in which architecture and the built environment can support the re/creation of communities in line with principles of inclusivity, ecological responsibility, and social cohesion. 

In the Studio session we examined the interaction between the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and its surrounding waterfront area asking what is the significance of the Aquatic Centre for the West End, and the broader Vancouver community; and, how can the built environment inform and shape our relationship with water?

Participants were divided into three groups, each with their own focus area: natural systems, built infrastructure, and human nature.