Arthur Erickson
Encyclopedia
Arthur Charles Erickson, (June 14, 1924 – May 20, 2009) was a Canadian architect
and urban planner
. He studied Asian languages at the University of British Columbia
, and later earned a degree in architecture from McGill University
.
Most of his buildings are modernist concrete structures designed to respond to the natural conditions of their locations, especially climate. Many buildings, such as the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, are inspired by the post and beam architecture of the Coastal First Nations
. Additionally, Erickson is also known for numerous futuristic
designs such as the Fresno City Hall and the Biological Sciences Building at the University of California, Irvine
.
The personal selection of Arthur Erickson as the architect for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC by then-Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
was controversial because Trudeau overruled the objections and choices of the embassy's design committee. Erickson's biographer Nicholas Olsberg described the building as "making fun of the ridiculous terms to which buildings must adhere in Washington... mocking the US and all of its imperial pretensions."
Erickson was born in Vancouver, the son of Oscar Erickson and Myrtle Chatterton. He served in the Canadian Army Intelligence Corps during World War II
. After graduating from McGill in 1950, Erickson taught at the University of British Columbia and designed houses in partnership with Geoffrey Massey. In 1963, Erickson and Massey submitted the winning design for Simon Fraser University
. Erickson was mentor of many other noted local architects and urbanists, including founding members of many of Vancouver's premier design-oriented architectural firms.
In 1973 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
and was promoted to Companion in 1981. His family announced that he died in Vancouver on May 20, 2009.
Erickson lived in Point Grey with his life partner and interior design collaborator, Francisco Kripacz.
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Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and urban planner
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
. He studied Asian languages at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, and later earned a degree in architecture from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
Biography
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. Additionally, Erickson is also known for numerous futuristic
Futurist architecture
Futurist architecture is an early-20th century form of architecture characterized by anti-historicism and long horizontal lines suggesting speed, motion and urgency. Technology and even violence were among the themes of the Futurists. The movement was founded by the poet Filippo Tommaso...
designs such as the Fresno City Hall and the Biological Sciences Building at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
.
The personal selection of Arthur Erickson as the architect for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC by then-Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
was controversial because Trudeau overruled the objections and choices of the embassy's design committee. Erickson's biographer Nicholas Olsberg described the building as "making fun of the ridiculous terms to which buildings must adhere in Washington... mocking the US and all of its imperial pretensions."
Erickson was born in Vancouver, the son of Oscar Erickson and Myrtle Chatterton. He served in the Canadian Army Intelligence Corps during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After graduating from McGill in 1950, Erickson taught at the University of British Columbia and designed houses in partnership with Geoffrey Massey. In 1963, Erickson and Massey submitted the winning design for Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. Erickson was mentor of many other noted local architects and urbanists, including founding members of many of Vancouver's premier design-oriented architectural firms.
In 1973 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and was promoted to Companion in 1981. His family announced that he died in Vancouver on May 20, 2009.
Erickson lived in Point Grey with his life partner and interior design collaborator, Francisco Kripacz.
Works
- 1965 onward in stages - Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, Burnaby, British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - 1970: Government of Canada pavilion, Expo '70Expo '70was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
won top architectural award Aug 17, 1970. - 1971: University Hall, University of LethbridgeUniversity of LethbridgeThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly-funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with two other urban campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The main building sits among the coulees on the west side of...
, LethbridgeLethbridgeLethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...
, AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - 1976: Haida longhouse-inspired Museum of Anthropology at UBCMuseum of Anthropology at UBCThe Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is renowned for its displays of world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations...
, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, BC, Canada - 1978: Eglinton West Subway StationEglinton West (TTC)Eglinton West is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Allen Road/Everden Road at 1300 Eglinton Avenue West....
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada - 1978: Yorkdale Subway StationYorkdale (TTC)Yorkdale is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on William R. Allen Road just south of Highway 401. It opened in 1978 in what was then the Borough of North York, and was named for the nearby Yorkdale Shopping Centre, to...
, Toronto - 1978-1983 in stages: Robson SquareRobson SquareRobson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza of modernist concrete, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Provincial Law Courts, UBC Robson Square, government office buildings, and public space connecting the newer development to the Vancouver Art...
, Provincial Law Courts, and Vancouver Art GalleryVancouver Art GalleryThe Vancouver Art Gallery is the fifth-largest art gallery in Canada and the largest in Western Canada. It is located at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, Vancouver - 1979: Bank of Canada BuildingBank of Canada BuildingThe Bank of Canada Building is the head office of the Bank of Canada, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Built from 1937-1938 by architect S.G. Davenport of Montreal and completed by the Toronto firm of Marani, Lawson and Morris, it replaced the Victoria Building to the east of this building on...
addition, Ottawa, Canada (with Marani Rounthwaite & Dick) - 1982: Roy Thomson HallRoy Thomson HallRoy Thomson Hall is a concert hall located at 60 Simcoe Street in Toronto, Ontario. It is the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Opened in 1982, its circular architectural design exhibits a sloping and curvilinear glass exterior. It was designed by Canadian...
, Toronto - 1983: Napp Laboratories, CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England - 1984: King's LandingWalter Carsen CentreWalter Carsen Centre in Toronto, Canada is a building at 470 Queen's Quay West on the Toronto water front. The lower levels house the headquarters of the National Ballet of Canada and the ballet's rehearsal space. The facility has 8,825 square metres of space, more than the Four Seasons Centre...
, Toronto - 1985: One California PlazaOne California PlazaOne California Plaza is a skyscraper located on the Bunker Hill District district of downtown Los Angeles, California. The tower is part of the California Plaza project, consists of two unique skyscrapers, One California Plaza and Two California Plaza...
, Los Angeles, California - 1989: Canadian ChanceryCanadian Embassy in WashingtonThe Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C. is Canada's main diplomatic mission to the United States. The embassy building is located at 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. between the Capitol and the White House, just north of the National Gallery of Art.- Overview :The embassy had...
, Washington, DC - 1989: Markham Civic CentreMarkham Civic CentreThe Markham Civic Centre is the city hall of the town of Markham, Ontario. The brick and glass Civic Centre was designed by architect Arthur Erickson with Richard Stevens Architects Limited and opened in 1989. Entrances, except the great hall entrance, are named after communities in Markham , part...
, Markham, OntarioMarkham, OntarioMarkham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
(with Richard Stevens Architects Limited) - 1989: Convention CenterSan Diego Convention CenterThe San Diego Convention Center is the primary convention center in San Diego, California. It is located in the Marina district of downtown San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter, at 111 West Harbor Drive...
, San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... - 1989: The Kingbridge CentreThe Kingbridge CentreThe Kingbridge Centre is a conference venue and communications facility in King City, Ontario, Canada. It was designed by Arthur Erickson.-History:...
, King City, Ontario - 1991: Fresno City Hall, Fresno, CaliforniaFresno, CaliforniaFresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
- 1991: McGaugh Hall, University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, IrvineThe University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, California - 1992: Two California PlazaTwo California PlazaTwo California Plaza is a skyscraper in the Bunker Hill District district of downtown Los Angeles California. The tower is part of the California Plaza project, consisting of two unique skyscrapers, One California Plaza and Two California Plaza...
, Los Angeles, California - 1997: Walter C. Koerner Library, University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
- 2000: new Portland Hotel, VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- 2002: Museum of GlassMuseum of GlassThe Museum of Glass is a museum dedicated to the medium of glass art located in Tacoma, Washington. It is not to be confused with the various other Museums of Glass, such as the one in Corning, New York, as the museum focuses on Contemporary and Pacific Northwest glass-art.The museum, the...
, Tacoma, Washington, USA - 2002: Waterfall building, Vancouver
- 2007: RCMP Heritage CentreRCMP Heritage CentreThe RCMP Heritage Centre was officially opened May 23, 2007 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is owned and operated by an independent nonprofit organization called the Mounted Police Heritage Centre and receives no funding from any level of government...
, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada - Ritz-Carlton VancouverRitz-Carlton VancouverThe Ritz-Carlton Vancouver was a planned skyscraper to be built in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 58-storey, 183-metre-high , mixed-use tower would have been located at 1133 West Georgia Street, and was scheduled to be completed in 2011...
, Vancouver (cancelled) - 2009: The Erickson, VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
External links
- Arthur Erickson
- The Macmillan Bloedel Building (1965) Vancouver
- Provincial Law Courts Vancouver (1973), Interior Concourse View
- Arthur Erickson archive at the Canadian Centre for Architecture
- Mercer, Katie & Chan, Cheryl. "B.C. architect Arthur Erickson dead at 84," The Province (Vancouver), Thursday, May 21, 2009.
- Sinoski, Kelly. "Renowned architect Arthur Erickson dead at 84," The Vancouver Sun, Thursday, May 21, 2009.
- Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.
- Live time-lapse photography of construction of Arthur Erickson's 'The Erickson' building in Vancouver, BC, Canada