2010 AWARD OF HONOUR

Vancouver's Historic Theatres

Proscenium Architecture + Interiors

Commonwealth Historic Resource Management Ltd

Conservation of Historic Theatres in Vancouver

As significant social and cultural resources, theatres have staying power in the hearts and souls of their communities – they lend themselves to becoming valued historic resources. In Vancouver, the number and variety of theatre conservation projects demonstrates the city’s commitment to maintaining its purpose-built performance venues.

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the Orpheum and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre are three such examples. Over the past 14 years, Proscenium Architecture + Interiors has committed to maintaining their viability as functional and attractive venues by responding to the needs of both audience and performers to sustain an active and vital arts community.

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre was built by the City of Vancouver in 1959 as part of an international design competition intended to put the city on the world’s cultural map. The design reflects the modernist desire to place cultural life at the centre of civic urban fabric in a complex typical of the international modernist style emerging in Canada at the time.

As part of the long-range plan to upgrade the building, Proscenium’s work has evolved in phases according to the venue’s performance schedule to provide a better level of service for patrons, and a better environment for performers to thrive in. To date this includes increased accessibility through the addition of public elevators and lobby reconfiguration, and the addition of salons for resident companies and rental space.  Acoustic separation of the playhouse and QET theatre, as well as acoustic treatment within the auditorium, contributes to the quality of performance the theatre can offer.  All design interventions have been governed by the simplicity of the original design approach, and a respect for the basic fabric of the building that is key to the minimalist modern style is carried from schematic design through to detailing.  

Originally built as a vaudeville house in 1927, the Orpheum was purchased by the City in 1974 as one of the first large-scale heritage conservation projects undertaken in Vancouver, which effectively saved the theatre from demolition. The latest renovations to Vancouver’s leading concert hall were designed to accommodate a broader range of uses by allowing for its changing entertainment environment. Today’s concert-going crowd brings different expectations than the informality of the historic vaudeville house. Large lobby space for pre-show and intermission gathering, barrier-free accessibility throughout, increased washroom capacity and higher standards for health and safety are accommodated as are acoustic requirements within the auditorium.

The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, or the Cultch, is an example of how a theatre restoration project can contribute to the social and cultural sustainability of a community.  While the growing needs of the local arts community and the condition of their existing facility necessitated considerable renovations and the addition of a new studio theatre space, the existing auditorium – a 1909 Methodist church converted to a theatre in the early 1970s – is maintained in its original configuration.  A neighborhood landmark, the original building was well-liked and appreciated by the local community.  When finished, the Cultch aims to become the first LEED certified performing arts facility in Canada, recognizing the latent energy of existing buildings as another opportunity for heritage conservation.

According to Proscenium Architecture + Interiors, “It is the marriage between good heritage conservation practice through the retention of existing building fabric and the provision of viable, up-to-date, functional performance spaces that support the creation of valuable cultural works.” The process is one of continuous compromise – those elements that contribute to the historic value of the theatre will only be retained as long as the building continues to function as a theatre. In fact, many historic theatres find value in their continued use. They have evolved over time in order to remain what they always were – theatres.