I didn’t have high expectations for the new Convention Centre. It was never intended to be a dynamic piece of architecture, partly because it was not to compete with the iconic image of the ‘sails’ on the existing centre and partly because, unavoidably, there’s not much you can do with a big honkin’ box. Some critics felt it was simply in the wrong place, and would detract from the success of the emerging Coal Harbour waterfront.
Enough is complete, the big mass is in place, to make a judgment on that issue.
It looks good. The mass is broken into a series of collapsing planes dropping down to the seawall, imitating the overlapping decks and prows of marina-bound craft. The grand staircase on the southwest side and angled rise of the seawall towards the prow pull the viewer upwards and provide a comfortable transition to the downtown grid.
Overall, the composition fits well into its location; the proportions seem balanced. From a distance, this horizontal mass offsets the monotonous verticality of the skyline and scales well with the sails and container cranes of the harbour. When the roofs are planted out, the centre should seamlessly blend with Coal Harbour Green.
Christopher Hume, the architecture critic for the Toronto Star who was in town last week for the VIA Architecture lecture, thought it a successful piece of design. We’ll see if the local critics are as kind.
