New Vancouver Art Gallery | Proposed - Page 18

s211 · #**341** Posted **Mar 31, 2010, 4:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

How about move it to Cambie and Broadway to be on the transit line to the airport. Then convert the current VAG into the BC-MoMA.

Current VAG is already a MoMA.

djmk · #**342** Posted **Mar 31, 2010, 4:55 PM**

The one thing that is really great about the current location is its proximity to the big hotels. Tourists only have to wander out of the lobby and see the VAG.

yes, there are hotels near the bus loop, however, i doubt the sandman caters to the art crowd as much.

however, the new location is only a few blocks from the new casino. that alone will change the neighbourhood dramatically. maybe, an art gallery will fit right in.

whatnext · #**343** Posted **Mar 31, 2010, 7:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbertram

I'm told that block is owned by the City and will be used for the next City Hall expansions. There are already City Hall offices in the old buildings on the Broadway side of the block, and the parking is mostly (if not exclusively) for City Hall staff.

The parking lot on the south side of the block is perfect for use as the construction area and pit for the new UBC Line Skytrain station, and can later be Phase I of whatever new office/retail/housing complex the City wants to build over the new Skytrain station on that block.

Hmm, I wonder why we need more City Hall staff.

On topic, even if they do go with a starchitect (please God, nothing by Frank Gehry), there's no reason an office tower couldn't be incorporated into the site. This is all about ego.

Prometheus · #**344** Posted **Mar 31, 2010, 8:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbertram

By starting with a new building on a new site, there are no pre-existing conditions that the new VAG has to fit in to (other than budgetary), so they and the architect (or Starchitect) can have free reign in the design they need so their collection (and future pieces) can be properly presented, preserved and stored.

The current building discriminates on the basis of pre-existing conditions? Let's pass an Art Care Bill!

PaperTiger · #**345** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 3:46 PM**

I just heard on the radio that we can expect an announcement today saying VAG will finally commit to moving to the Dunsmuir site.

trofirhen · #**346** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 5:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

I just heard on the radio that we can expect an announcement today saying VAG will finally commit to moving to the Dunsmuir site.

Where is the Dunsmuir site?

Smooth · #**347** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trofirhen

Where is the Dunsmuir site?

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=49.27953,-123.112026&spn=0.002569,0.004098&t=h&z=18

trofirhen · #**348** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:03 PM**

Yes, perhaps a new gallery on the Dunsmuir site would be good. Look at Seattle. They built a fantastic new Art Gallery of Seattle.

But PLEASE ...... don't knock down the existing VAG building.!!! It's the aristocrat of heritage buildings in Vancouver. And it deseves a role compementary to that aristocracy.

It's just too elegant, too beautiful, and too historic to replace with a high-rise.

I think Agrant's idea of a museum of Indian art is good, but it may be a bit too "monotone" in character for that site. I think something like a conservatory of music would be good, but that's just an idea. There are numerous options, surely.

Smooth · #**349** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:21 PM**

The old art gallery would make a good homeless shelter

Especially if it was run by DERA... then all the protesters wouldn't have to commute to their protests on the lawn.

SpongeG · #**350** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:23 PM**

i believe the old gallery will be returned to the court system as the current facilities are at the bulging point and they need more room

LeftCoaster · #**351** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:27 PM**

The court building is a heritage building... It isnt going anywhere... ever.

itinerant · #**352** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i believe the old gallery will be returned to the court system as the current facilities are at the bulging point and they need more room

That would be truly tragic, and a serious error. If there is to be expansion of the courthouse, it should be at the other end of the complex.

PaperTiger · #**353** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:50 PM**

My favorite idea for the existing building is to turn it into a National Gallery of Aboriginal Art.

It could build on the existing Bill Reid gallery's collection and grow to include contemporary Frist Nations artists like Brian Jungen.

mr.x · #**354** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:53 PM**

Why would they knock down the old Art Gallery/Court House building? They'd simply find another use for it...geez.

LeftCoaster · #**355** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

My favorite idea for the existing building is to turn it into a National Gallery of Aboriginal Art.

It could build on the existing Bill Reid gallery's collection and grow to include contemporary Frist Nations artists like Brian Jungen.

Seems kinda inappropriate to house a Native Canadian art museum in a very european looking building.

I would personally like to see the Vanouver museum move in.

PaperTiger · #**356** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 6:59 PM**

Here is news 11:30's announce,mnt of the anouncement:

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - We're expecting to learn more today about the future of the Vancouver Art Gallery. More will be revealed about the facility's new location later today.

The Vancouver Art Gallery has been talking about moving from its current digs at the old courthouse at Georgia and Howe for quite some time now. After 30 years, the Gallery feels the building has become too small for its collection of 10,000 pieces and not large enough to accomodate major exhibitions and ever-expanding educational and public programs.

During a luncheon at the Vancouver Board of Trade today, plans will be revealed to move the gallery to a site at 150 Dunsmuir next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and where the old bus depot used to be

And yeah, they are not going to tear down the existing building.

They were studying the option of expanding in the current location but decided against it. The main concerns were the integrety of the current heritage buillding and its relationship to Erikson's courthouse and the potential loss of what is Vancouver's public square.

trofirhen · #**357** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 7:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

The court building is a heritage building... It isnt going anywhere... ever.

Thank you for that reassurance, Leftcoaster. With some of the minds at the helm here in Vancouver, I get pretty anxious about attention to heritage and beauty.

officedweller · #**358** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

And yeah, they are not going to tear down the existing building.

They were studying the option of expanding in the current location but decided against it. The main concerns were the integrety of the current heritage buillding and its relationship to Erikson's courthouse and the potential loss of what is Vancouver's public square.

The wierd thing is I'll bet there was more concern over violating the integrity of Erickson's Robson Square plan than in blending the new with the old courthouse.

PaperTiger · #**359** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 10:25 PM**

small update, not exactly earth shattering:

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - After six years of debate, the Vancouver Art Gallery has finally chosen a location for its new home--the old bus depot location on Dunsmuir, next to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

The new building is expected to cost around $300-million. It's scheduled to be completed by 2015, funded with a combination of public and private money. The Gallery has complained the current building on Robson--in the old courthouse building--is too small for its collection of 10,000 pieces, and not large enough to accomodate major exhibitions and ever-expanding educational and public programs.
We're expecting to learn more today about the future of the Vancouver Art Gallery. More will be revealed about the facility's new location later today.

djh · #**360** Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 11:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

small update, not exactly earth shattering:

The new building is expected to cost around $300-million. It's scheduled to be completed by 2015...

Interesting. A $300m building will be pretty sizeable (think the cost of the Woodwards project), not necessarily in height, but in complexity. Meaning, expect a 2-3 year construction.
Bearing that in mind and working backwards, we can extrapolate that an architect is already picked, preliminary designs are probably well on their way already, and development permits will be applied for before the end of the summer, I'd say.

Anybody in the construction industry who can give a more accurate estimate? I was assuming "Completed in 2015" to mean, say 1st Jan 2015 for simplicity.