The Arthur Erickson Centennial celebration has been a year-long tribute in Vancouver and across Canada, featuring engaging lectures, the premiere of a captivating documentary film, vibrant street celebrations, and exhibitions—all commemorating Erickson’s visionary legacy and his profound influence on Canadian architecture and culture.
9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. | Roundtable 1: Lessons on Design Collaboration and Studio Culture
Moderator: David Covo | Panelists: Wyn Bielaska, Barry Johns, Eva Matsuzaki
Arthur Erickson often referred to the workplace as an ‘atelier’, and many of the distinguished architects who worked with him over the years remember it that way: an open space without hierarchy, filled with large models of projects underway, where design was the common language between architects from all over the world and collaboration was both enabled and encouraged. The three panelists will share critical perspectives on their experience with Arthur and each other in a studio culture that made it “a joy to go to work each day.”
Location: C400/420, Robson Square
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Robson Square Walking Tour
Guides: Barry Johns + Eva Matsuzaki
Location: Meet in main lobby of UBC Robson Square
- Please reach out to info@sala.ubc.ca to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Lecture: The Authorship of Canadian Architecture: Arthur Erickson’s Global Modernism
Introduction: Sara Stevens | Presenter: Michael Kubo
This talk explores the construction of Arthur Erickson’s reputation as Canada’s most important and influential architect of the late twentieth century. How did Erickson’s work become synonymous with Canadian modernism in a global context, and how did Erickson become an architect whose persona was itself one of the country’s most significant cultural export products? An overview of Erickson’s work illuminates the architecture of his fame through major civic and cultural buildings, national embassies and Expo pavilions, university campuses, and headquarters for Canadian industrial corporations. This legacy includes the circulation of Erickson’s authorial image in a competitive global market, as in the MENA region, where Arthur Erickson Associates pursued an extensive range of projects in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, many of them unbuilt or only partially built.
Location: C400/420, Robson Square
4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Roundtable 2: Living Labs: Three Experimental Houses by Arthur Erickson
Moderator: Leslie Van Duzer | Panelists: Clinton Cuddington, Michael Prokopow, Adele Weder
It was in residential projects that Arthur Erickson and his associates most freely tested new ideas related to site, structures and materials. This panel will focus on three houses: the Filberg House (1958 / Comox, BC), Smith House II (1964 / West Vancouver, BC) and the Hilborn House (1974 / Preston, ON.) Moderated by UBC Professor Leslie Van Duzer, the presentations and discussion will unpack the histories and innovations of each house within the broader context of design culture and Erickson’s greater body of work.
Location: C400/420, Robson Square
5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | Reception
Location: C400/420 Foyer
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. | Keynote Presentation: Site is Paramount
Introduction: Matthew Soules | Presenter: Brigitte Shim
Arthur Erickson’s Laurel Street Studio was bustling during the early 1980’s with global and local projects being realized. Brigitte Shim spent time in this studio when she was an architecture student observing the dynamic conversations and fluid evolution of Arthur’s studio projects. She will share her thoughts on Arthur’s legacy and its impact on the work of Shim-Sutcliffe.
Location: Robson Square Theatre
Supported by:
