Arthur Charles Erickson (June 14, 1924 – May 20, 2009) was a Canadian

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and

urban planner An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning. An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, tow ...

. He studied at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

and, in 1950, received his B.Arch. (Honours) from

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

. He is known as Canada's most influential architect and was the only Canadian architect to win the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

AIA Gold Medal The AIA Gold Medal is awarded by the American Institute of Architects conferred "by the national AIA Board of Directors in recognition of a significant body of work of lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture." It is the Ins ...

(in 1986, for the Embassy of Canada, Washington, D.C.). When told of Erickson's award,

Philip Johnson Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect who designed modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the postmodern 550 ...

said, "Arthur Erickson is by far the greatest architect in Canada, and he may be the greatest on this continent."

Early life and education

Erickson was born in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, on June 14, 1924. The son of Oscar Erickson and Myrtle Chatterson, he had an early interest, and talent for, painting and horticulture. As had his father, Erickson served in the Canadian Army, enlisting with the Canadian Army Intelligence Corps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and serving in India,

British Ceylon British Ceylon (; ), officially British Settlements and Territories in the Island of Ceylon with its Dependencies from 1802 to 1833, then the Island of Ceylon and its Territories and Dependencies from 1833 to 1931 and finally the Island of Cey ...

, and Malaysia. Erickson's original intention was to go into the

Diplomatic corps The diplomatic corps () is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body. The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission ( ambassadors, high commis ...

; he changed his mind when he saw the work of

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

. He studied at the

, followed by the

School of Architecture This is a list of architecture schools at colleges and universities around the world. An architecture school (also known as a school of architecture or college of architecture), is a professional school or institution specializing in architectura ...

. After graduating from McGill in 1950, Erickson was granted a travel scholarship and traveled around the Mediterranean, studying climate and style in their relationship to architecture. He spent ten years teaching at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

and the University of British Columbia, during which time he designed some of British Columbia's most important houses – ''Canadian Homes Magazine'' called his 1959 Filberg House "Canada's most fabulous house". Erickson spent a few years at Thompson Berwick and Pratt and Partners then, in 1962, founded Erickson/Massey Architects with Geoffrey Massey. In 1963, Erickson and Massey submitted the winning design for

Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...

.Martin, Sandra. "The greatest architect we have ever produced," ''The Globe and Mail'', Friday, May 22, 2009.
/ref>

Style and method

Erickson's early buildings were often modernist concrete or wooden structures designed to respond to the natural conditions of their locations, especially climate. Erickson always integrated light and water features into his designs, along with the characteristic horizontal elements and terraces that came from the vernacular architecture of the Far East. Many buildings, such as the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, were inspired by the post and beam architecture of the Coastal

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

, Asian temples and the North American log cabin. Erickson is also known for numerous futuristic designs such as the Fresno City Hall, the

UCI School of Biological Sciences The School of Biological Sciences (formerly the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences) is one of the academic units of the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The school is divided into four departments: developmental and cell biolo ...

and the 1967 Catton House, also known as the 'Starship House'. His work balanced the style of modernism with an integration of the surrounding natural environment. Erickson constantly stressed the importance of greenery and water in all of his designs—as a teacher, he impressed this upon his students by making them draw blades of grass. He insisted on bringing in a landscape architect at the outset of all of his projects and, for most of his projects, worked with the landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander.

Significant works

Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC)

is located on top of Burnaby Mountain, at Greater Vancouver's eastern edge, 1,214 feet above sea level. The scale of the project is reminiscent of utopian designs from French architects in the late eighteenth century such as Etienne-Louis Bouillee, and provides a balance between the British Columbia context and the structural ambitions of the 1960s period of

Modern architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...

. The unfinished concrete blends in with the surrounding geography in colour but not in shape. When viewed from above in plan, the campus forms a geometric contrast to the snowy mountains of its context but does not interfere with the site's spectacular views and is open to its natural surroundings. While Erickson had 900 acres on which to build, he kept the campus tight and left the rest for meadow and playing fields. The design features a covered plaza with massive skylights which respond to Vancouver's wet climate. The campus is landscaped to provide numerous small spaces for study; in its centre, Erickson placed a large rectangular pool containing an enormous block of

Fraser River The Fraser River () is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain (Canada), Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of V ...

jade. Perhaps most significantly, academic disciplines are not isolated in separate buildings; the campus is a quadrangle designed so that people have to cross paths and interact with each other. The design was met with international acclaim, with one critic writing that it "answered questions about the nature of education".

Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)

The Museum of Anthropology was built in 1976, as an inclusion to the campus at the

. It houses artifacts and exhibits from world cultures, with an emphasis on Pacific Northwest cultures and the First Nations of British Columbia. This building blends methods of reinforced concrete and the traditional post-and-beam construction to articulate the structure. Oversized beams evoke a monumental feeling in many of Erickson's projects, calling on the size and scale of the trees found in the surrounding context. It is well known for Erickson's use of concrete piers and large stretches of glass. By using concrete beams to represent de-materialized logs and opening up the main atrium through expanses of glass, Erickson refers to the traditional notion of post-and-beam construction while integrating these characteristics into a modernist building. The structure sits on a promontory facing the ocean and mountains. The landscape of the site was particularly important, as Erickson wanted to depict the connection between indigenous Pacific Northwest cultures to the land. He and Oberlander studied the landscapes of

Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; / , literally "Islands of the Haida people"), previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago located between off the British Columbia Coast, northern Pacific coast in the Canadian province of British Columbia ...

, with its totem poles standing on mounds covered with wild grasses and surrounded by forest. A seed expert provided the correct plantings of indigenous grasses and flowers, fallen logs were left in situ, a gravel pond was created to reflect the mountains and sky, and mounds of earth were used to both muffle traffic and create the sense of hills rolling to the ocean. The university describes the museum as: ..."a total work of art, expressing a convergence of the site, building, collection and the performances and ceremonies that take place there."

Robson Square (Vancouver, BC)

Built in Vancouver in 1979 as a large civic center, Erickson's design for

Robson Square Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Law Courts (Vancouver), Provincial Law Courts, University of British Columbia, UBC Robson Square, government offi ...

included waterfalls, a roof garden, several plazas, and stairs with ramps integrated within. This complex is one of the few in North America that integrates everything from public space and landscape to a set of surrounding buildings, spanning from the art gallery to the law courts. Many changes have been made to the square since it was first built, and some complain that certain changes conflict with the intent of the original design. For example, glass barriers have been installed near the waterfall, preventing people from getting close to it, and barriers have also been installed on the edges of planters to stop people from sitting on them. It has also since lost the outdoor restaurants, cinema, and large auditorium that once existed on the site. On the design of the roof garden, Erickson was assisted by his former student, architect Bing Thom; the landscape architect on Robson Square was Cornelia Oberlander.

Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto, ON)

Designed and built in the city of Toronto, Roy Thomson Hall was not designed to blend into its surroundings in order to be recognized as a landmark and home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Characteristic of Erickson's other designs with additions of water and other natural elements, this project includes a water feature of pond and rocks adjacent the building. Due to its placement below-grade, it can go unnoticed to pedestrians walking by. The interior of the building was designed by Erickson's life partner Francisco Kipacz, the only Canadian published as "Designer of the Year" by the

American Press Institute The American Press Institute is an educational non-advocacy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the News Media Alliance (formerly the Newspaper Association of America). The institute's mission is to encourage the advancement of news ...

. The interior used a colour palette of grey and silver to harmonize with the concrete structure and create a peaceful atmosphere. This interior has since been retrofitted by the firm

KPMB Architects KPMB is a Canadian architecture firm founded by Bruce Kuwabara, Thomas Payne, Marianne McKenna, and Shirley Blumberg, in 1987. It is headquartered in Toronto, where the majority of their work is found. Aside from designing buildings, the firm ...

, adding wood planking as well as purple and plum seating throughout the hall in attempt to make the atmosphere warmer.

Canadian Chancery (Washington, DC)

The personal selection of Arthur Erickson as the architect for the Canadian Chancery in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

by then-

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...

was controversial, because Trudeau and Erickson were close friends and the Prime Minister overruled the objections and choices of the embassy's design committee. Erickson's biographer Nicholas Olsberg described the building as "making fun of the ridiculous terms to which buildings must adhere in Washington... mocking the US and all of its imperial pretensions."Schelling, Steven. "Arthur Erickson, 1924–2009." ''Xtra,'' Friday, May 22, 2009.
In fact, Erickson had to obey his client's instructions, which were to express neighbourliness, openness and friendship, while adhering to the restrictions put in place by the 20 committees which regulate what happens on Pennsylvania Avenue. He blended the

Neoclassicism Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative arts, decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiq ...

of existing structures with the idiom of the

Plantation house A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and ...

to create an expanse of space. Oberlander landscaped the courtyard with northern plants; Erickson had Haida artist Bill Reid create the massive sculpture Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Black Canoe, which sits in the courtyard in a pool of water. While his detractors may have had initial doubts about his ability to create a structure which represented Canada, it is this building which won Erickson the

Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA)

The Museum of Glass was built in the city of

Tacoma Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, northwest of Mount ...

, Washington, as part of an initiative to revitalize the waterfront which was one of the most polluted industrial areas in Washington in the past. Erickson's design for the museum features a 90-foot-tall metal cone erupting from a structure of steel and concrete. The enormous cone acts as a 'chimney' for the museum's amphitheater, where visitors can overlook visiting artists as they create glass art. Large public art displays and concrete plazas overlook the neighbouring waterway, while pools of water interlaced with stairs and switchback ramps to connect each levels. The museum aims to connect the downtown core to the city's waterfront as well, through a 150-foot long bridge named the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. The bridge is named after Tacoma native

Dale Chihuly Dale Chihuly ( ; born September 20, 1941) is an American glass artist and entrepreneur. He is well known in the field of Glassblowing, blown glass, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture". Early life Dale Patrick Chihuly was born on ...

, who was a pioneer of the Studio Glass Movement and has many works on display at the museum.

Works (by year completed)

* Killam-Massey House,

West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is situated on the north shore of Burrard Inlet to the northwest of the city ...

, BC (1955) * McKeen Beach House, Qualicum Beach, BC (1955) * Filberg House, Comox, BC (1958) * Boultbee House, Vancouver, BC (1960) * Dyde House,

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, AB (1960) * Graham House, West Vancouver, BC (1962) * Point Grey Town Homes, Vancouver, BC (1963) * MacMillan Bloedel Building, Vancouver, BC (1965) (Re-named Arthur Erickson Place 2021.) * Canadian Pavilion, International Trade Fair,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, Japan (1965) * Baldwin House,

Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard In ...

, BC (1965) * Smith House,

, BC (1965) *

, BC (1965 onward, in stages) * Man in the Community Pavilion,

Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, QC (1967) * Canadian Pavilion,

, Montreal, QC (1967), consulting architect * Craig House,

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley in the British Columbia Interior, southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna ...

, BC (1967) * Catton House (aka Starship House), West Vancouver, BC (1967), with Geoffrey Massey * Hi-View Estates

Port Moody Port Moody is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It envelops the east end of Burrard Inlet and is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south ...

, BC (1968) * Government of Canada pavilion,

Expo '70 The or Expo '70 was a world's fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, between 15 March and 13 September 1970. Its theme was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese, Expo '70 is often referred to as . It was the first world's fair ...

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Japan (1970) * Ross Street Sikh Temple, Vancouver, BC (1970) * Shannon Mews, Vancouver, BC (1971) * University Hall,

University of Lethbridge The University of Lethbridge (also known as uLethbridge, uLeth, and U of L) is a public comprehensive and research university located in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, with a second campus in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in the liberal arts traditio ...

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

, AB (1971) * Helmut Eppich House, West Vancouver, BC (1972) * Champlain Heights Elementary School, Vancouver, BC (1973) * Hilborn House,

Cambridge, Ontario Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand River (Ontario), Grand and Speed River, Speed rivers, in the central part of the Ontario Peninsula. The city had a population ...

, ON (1974) *

Museum of Anthropology at UBC The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada displays world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations in Canada, First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. As well ...

, Vancouver, BC (1976) * Habitat Pavilion, Habitat I, United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, Vancouver, BC (1976) * Fire Island House,

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy once again divided Fire Island into two islands. Together, these two isl ...

, NY (1977) * Bagley Wright House, Seattle, WA (1977) * Hollenberg House,

Bad Homburg Bad Homburg vor der Höhe (, ) is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus mountains. Bad Homburg is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. The town's official name is ''Bad Homburg ...

, Germany (1978) * Keevil Beach House, Savary Island, BC (1978) * Eglinton West Subway Station,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, ON (1978), with Clifford & Lawrie * Yorkdale Subway Station,

, ON (1978) * Evergreen Building, Vancouver, BC (1978) *

, Provincial Law Courts, and

Vancouver Art Gallery The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is an art museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The museum occupies a adjacent to Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, making it the largest art museum in Western Canada by building size. Designed by Fr ...

, Vancouver, BC (1978–1983) * Montiverdi Estates, West Vancouver, BC (1979) * Hugo Eppich House, West Vancouver, BC (1979) * Bank of Canada Building addition,

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, ON (1979), with Marani Rounthwaite & Dick * Hwang House, Vancouver, BC (1982) * Roy Thomson Hall,

, ON (1982) * Napp Research Centre,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, UK (1983) * Robert McLaughlin Gallery expansion,

Oshawa Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...

, ON (1984) * One California Plaza at Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, CA (1985) (Also master plan for Bunker Hill) * Gilbert Biological Sciences Building,

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, Stanford, CA (1985) * King's Landing, Toronto, ON (1985), with Cowle and Martin *

Red Deer Polytechnic Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), formerly Red Deer College, is a public polytechnic institute of approximately 10,000 students in credit, non-credit and apprenticeship programming located in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. In 2021, Red Deer College was c ...

Arts Centre,

Red Deer, Alberta Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and its key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and educati ...

, AB (1986) * Vinod Khosla House,

Portola Valley, California Portola Valley is an incorporated List of municipalities in California, town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area, Portola Valley is a small, wealthy com ...

(1986) * Etisalat Tower I,

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

(1986) * Russell House,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...

, WA (1986) * Admiralty Place Housing, Dartmouth, NS (1987), with Cowle and Martin * Stein Institute for Research on Aging,

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

, CA (1987) *

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus ...

Law Library addition, Halifax, NS (1988) * Balboa Beach House,

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

, CA (1988) * Government of Ontario Building,

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

ON (1989), with Reginald Nalezyty Architect * Canadian Chancery,

(1989) * Markham Civic Centre,

Markham, Ontario Markham () is a city in Regional Municipality of York, York Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Downtown Toronto. In the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Census, Markham had a population of 338,503, which ranked it the largest in ...

, ON (1989), with Richard Stevens Architects *

Convention Center A convention center (American and British English spelling differences, American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a Convention (meeting), convention, where individuals and groups ...

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, CA (1989) * The Kingbridge Centre,

King City, Ontario King City is an Unincorporated area#Canada, unincorporated Canadian community in the township of King, Ontario, King, Ontario, located north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King township, with 2,730 dwellings and a population of 8,396 ...

, ON (1989) * Inn at Laurel Point addition,

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

, BC (1989) * Saskatoon City Hospital,

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, SK (1990) *

Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente (; KP) is an American integrated delivery system, integrated managed care consortium headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield, Sidney R. Garfield, the ...

Baldwin Park Medical Center, Baldwin Park, CA (1991), with HMC Architects * Fresno City Hall,

Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

, CA (1991) * McGaugh Hall,

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...

, CA (1991) * Two California Plaza at Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, CA (1992) (Also master plan for Bunker Hill) * Walter C. Koerner Library,

, Vancouver, BC (1997) * Bruce Dunbar Maui House, Makena, Hawaii, HI (1998) * Portland Hotel, Vancouver, BC (2000) * Liu Institute for Global Issues, Vancouver, BC (2000) * Waterfall Building, Vancouver, BC (2001) * Choklit Townhomes, Vancouver, BC (2004) * Oil Sector Complex,

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

, Kuwait (2005) * Weihai Culture & Arts Center,

Weihai Weihai ( zh, t=, p=Wēihǎi), formerly Weihaiwei ( zh, s=, p=Wēihǎiwèi, l=Mighty Sea Fort, first=t), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport city in the easternmost Shandong province of China. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow ...

, China (2005), with Nick Milkovich Architects, Architects of Record: Shanghai Universal Architectural Design *

RCMP Heritage Centre The RCMP Heritage Centre () is a law enforcement museum located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The museum houses a number of exhibits on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and artifacts relating to the police force. The heritage centre's ...

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...

, SK (2007) * Museum of Glass,

, WA (2002) *

Canada House Canada House () is a Greek Revival building on Trafalgar Square in London. It has been a Grade II* Listed Building since 1970. It has served as the Chancery (diplomacy), chancery of the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom since 192 ...

, Vancouver, BC (2009) * The Erickson, Vancouver, BC (2010) * McLelland Hall,

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

at Tucson, AZ (2015), designed 1988 with NBBJ-Gresham Larson, completed by Gould Evans *

Paradox Hotel Vancouver The Paradox Vancouver, formerly known as the Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver, is a residential skyscraper and hotel in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 60-storey, tower in which the hotel is located is at 1151 We ...

(2016), designed 2005; completed by Musson Cattell Mackey and dys architecture) Arthur Erickson divided the archives of his work among several Canadian repositories. The Canadian Architecture Collection of McGill University holds his Middle East projects from 1975–1997, as well as other architectural drawings and biographical and professional papers from pre-1950 to 1987. Th
Canadian Architectural Archives
at the University of Calgary hold material that covers the 1963–1970 years. The Canadian Centre for Architecture fonds documents his work from 1947–2002.

Awards

* 1958 Massey Medal, Silver Medal for Killam-Massey Residence, West Vancouver; B.C * 1967 Centennial Design Award, National Housing Design Council * 1967

Molson Prize The Thomas Henry Pentland Molson Prize for the Arts is awarded by the Canada Council, Canada Council for the Arts. Two prizes are awarded annually to distinguished individuals. One prize is awarded in the arts, one in the social sciences and human ...

, awarded by

Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It is Canada's public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study a ...

* 1967 Massey Medal for the design of Smith House, West Vancouver, BC * 1967 Massey Medal for the design of

, Burnaby, BC * 1967 Massey Medal for the design of the Canadian Pavilion for the International Trade Fair,

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

* 1968 Award of Merit, Canadian Architect * 1969 Award for the design of Lam House

Architectural Record ''Architectural Record'' is a US-based monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design. Its editor in chief is Josephine Minutillo. ''The Record'', as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is widely-recognized as an important ...

* 1970 Massey Medal for the design of the MacMillan Bloedel Building, Vancouver, BC * 1970 Massey Medal for the design of the Canadian Pavilion at

, Osaka, Japan * 1970 Triangle Award of the National Society of Interior Designers for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 70, Osaka, Japan * 1970 Award for Best Pavilion at Expo '70, Architectural Institute of Japan, 1970 * 1970 Award of Excellence, Canadian Architect * 1971 Award, Centre du Plateau Beaubourg (

Pompidou Centre The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the (), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English and colloquially as Beaubourg, is a building complex in Paris, France. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture by the architectural team of ...

), Paris, Cultural Centre Competition * 1971

Royal Bank of Canada Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; ) is a Canadian multinational Financial institution, financial services company and the Big Five (banks), largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 20 million clients and has more than ...

Award, for outstanding contributions to human welfare and common good * 1973

Officer of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian national order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the centennial of Canadian Confederation, the ...

* 1973 Gold Medal in Architecture and the Allied Arts, Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society * 1974 Auguste Perret Award, International Union of Architects * 1975 Auguste Perret Award for general excellence in design at the International Union of Architects Congress * 1979 President's Award of Excellence for

American Society of Landscape Architects The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is a professional association for landscape architects in the United States. The ASLA's mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education, and fellowship. ...

* 1980 RAIC Festival of Architecture Honour Award (6), for the designs of Robson Square and the Provincial Law Courts, Eppich Residence, the Museum of Anthropology, Habitat Pavilion, Sikh Temple and Champlain Heights Community School, Vancouver, BC. * 1981

Companion of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian national order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the centennial of Canadian Confederation, the ...

* 1982 Governor General's Award for Architecture (formerly Massey Medal) for Robson Square Complex * 1982 Governor General's Award for Architecture for Yorkdale Transit System * 1983 Governor General's Award for Architecture for the Museum of Anthropology * 1984 Gold Medal for Outstanding Architect,

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

* 1984 First Chicago Architecture Award (with

) * 1984 Gold Medal, French Academy of Architecture * 1986 Gold Medal,

(AIA) * Honorary Fellow of the Collegio d'Architectura d'Espana, 1987 * Honorary Fellow of the

Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland. History Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in ...

, 1988 * Honorary Fellow of the Collegio d'Architectura de Mexico, 1993 * 2001 Honorary Fellow of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

* 2002 Medal for the design of the Waterfall Building, Architectural Institute of British Columbia, (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.) * 2003 Medal for the design of the Museum of Glass, Architectural Institute of British Columbia, (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.) * 2004 Design Arts Award, Vancouver Arts Awards * 2007 Premier's Award of Excellence in Architecture for RCMP Heritage Centre * 2007 RAIC Prix du XXe siecle award for Simon Fraser University * 2007 RAIC Prix du XXe siecle award for Smith House * 2010 Urban Development Institute Award for "The Erickson" (with Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.) * 2011 RAIC Prix du XXe siecle award for Museum of Anthropology * 2011 RAIC Prix du XXe siecle award for Robson Square * 2017 International Property Awards Best International Hotel Architecture, for Trump International Hotel and Tower, Vancouver (Originally Ritz-Carlton Hotel)

Honorary university degrees

* D.Eng. (Honoris Causa),

Technical University of Nova Scotia The Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) was a Canadian university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. TUNS was officially founded as the Nova Scotia Technical College on 25 April 1907, and was renamed as the Technical University of Nova Sco ...

, 1973 *

LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

(Honoris Causa),

, 1973 * LL.D. (Honoris Causa),

, 1975 * LL.D. (Honoris Causa),

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a public research university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1877, it is the first university of Western Canada. Both by total student enrolment and campus area, the University of ...

, 1978 * LL.D. (Honoris Causa),

, 1981 * D.Lit. (Honoris Causa),

, 1985 * D.Lit. (Honoris Causa),

Lakehead University Lakehead University is a public research university with campuses in Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate programs, gradua ...

, 1988 * M.Arch., The School of Architecture at Taliesin, 2001

Reputation, influences and legacy

Erickson was the mentor of many other noted local architects and urbanists, including founding members of many of Vancouver's premier design-oriented architectural firms. His buildings were also the subject of paintings by artists including Vancouver-based Tiko Kerr. In 1971, he received the Royal Bank Award. In 1973, he was made an

and was promoted to Companion in 1981. Erickson received the Chicago Architectural Award in 1984 alongside

and Joan Burgee. In 1986, he received the

, making him the first ever Canadian architect to receive this award. Erickson lived in

Point Grey Point Grey () is a headland marking the southern entrance to English Bay and Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. The headland is the site of Wreck Beach, Tower Beach, Point Grey Beach and most notably, since 1925, on its top is the Poin ...

with his life partner and interior design collaborator, Francisco Kripacz. He died in Vancouver on May 20, 2009. His legacy still lives on through the Arthur Erickson Foundation. The foundation has been registered in the province of British Columbia since 1993 as a non-profit charitable society. Founded originally as the Arthur Erickson House and Garden Foundation in 1993, the organization was created by Erickson's neighbour and fellow landscape architect Elizabeth Watts in order to raise money to buy Erickson's Point Grey home after he went bankrupt. The society succeeded and became owner of the

residence in Vancouver, BC. After his death, the foundation was expanded to offer education, research, and work in preservation with stewardship, education, and tours offered to keep people informed about the legacy of one of Canada's first internationally acclaimed architects.

References

External links

*
Historic Places in Canada

* ttps://www.cca.qc.ca/en/archives/108951/arthur-erickson-fonds Arthur Erickson archive at the Canadian Centre for Architecture
Mercer, Katie & Chan, Cheryl. "B.C. architect Arthur Erickson dead at 84," ''The Province'' (Vancouver), Thursday, May 21, 2009.

* ttp://www.milkovicharchitects.com/ Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.
Arthur Erickson fonds
from the John Bland Canadian Architecture Collection, McGill Libraries {{DEFAULTSORT:Erickson, Arthur 1924 births 2009 deaths Artists from Vancouver Canadian architects Canadian urban planners Companions of the Order of Canada Canadian gay artists McGill School of Architecture alumni Modernist architecture in Canada Modernist architects University of British Columbia alumni Academic staff of the University of British Columbia LGBTQ architects 20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people 21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people Recipients of the AIA Gold Medal