Vancouver Art Gallery

A desire to rebrand art’s elitist image has driven the design for a new, more accessible and environmentally-sustainable Vancouver Art Gallery. The new building will expand community services and education programs, showcase less-conventional media such as digital art, and enhance the city’s reputation as a destination for contemporary art.

Still in the early preliminary design phase, Fast + Epp contributed to the structural design of the gallery’s 11-storey main tower and lower building, with two levels of below-ground parking. The design features stacked rectangular volumes, a number of which dramatically cantilever out from the central core by as much as 12 metres. Lower floors will promote transparency, with floor-to-ceiling glazing to engage the street.

The architects are exploring the possibility of using glass and wood for the facade as a nod to British Columbia’s timber-rich heritage. The proposed programming will more than double the footprint of existing exhibition space and prioritize social gathering spaces such as a 350-seat theatre, courtyard, rooftop sculpture garden and library.

The VAG 3D Model was produced in-house and was instrumental in explaining our vision to our partners.
The RC Cores and Steel Trusses were printed using our Ultimaker S5 Dual Extruder Pro 3D printer and the model, which is comprised of 65x 3D printed components, took the Digital Practice Team five days to model and detail. Once all the components were printed, the model can be assembled in approximately 20 minutes.