Vancouver’s new convention centre is officially open. It is more than one million square feet in size, has the largest green roof in Canada and the largest non-industrial green roof in North America. It is LEED Gold certified, meets all of its water needs using desalinated seawater and captured rainwater, which it then purifies for reuse and irrigation. The hallways and ballroom are bathed in sunlight and feature panoramic views of the city, Stanley Park, the port, Burrard Inlet, the City of North Vancouver, and the verdant Coastal Mountain range. The interiors feature countless board feet of British Columbia wood in a spectacular expression of local materiality.
On Saturday morning the doors were opened to the public for the first time and we came out in droves.
Friday – The finishing touches are added under a sullen grey sky before the weekend-long open house.
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 2nd, 2009.
Workers wrap up the final details of the new public plaza, which anchors the western half of the convention centre precinct. Beneath the footprint of the plaza is part of the parking level and beneath that again is the massive exhibition hall.
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 2nd, 2009.
The new section of seawall that wraps around the convention centre is deserted for the last time.
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 2nd, 2009.
Saturday - The doors are opened.
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009
![](http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.png)
Taken by SFUVancouver, April 4th, 2009