Architecture Visions: Arthur Erickson
Tags: arthur erickson, canadian architects, canadian embassy, canadian prime minister, lethbridge alberta, museum of anthropology, prime minister pierre trudeau, tacoma glass museum, university of british columbia, university of lethbridge, vancouver british columbia
An internationally celebrated Canadian architect and urban planner will be spoken about on this week’s Architecture Visions. The person we are honoring today is Arthur Charles Erickson.
Arthur Erickson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 14th, 1924 and passed away on May 20th, 2009 at the age of 84.
Erickson was a prominent architect who has made his mark around the world, including Canada.
Most of his buildings are modernist concrete structures, designed to respond to the natural conditions of its locations. This is especially true for the climate.
One building that is a great example of this is the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. It is inspired by the post and beam architecture of the Coastal First Nations.
In Lethbridge, Alberta, Erickson designed University Hall, a part of the University of Lethbridge, which opened in 1971.
On an international scale, his projects included the Tacoma Glass Museum, located in Washington state and the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C.
Erickson was chosen by the Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau personally was deemed controversial as Trudeau overruled the objections and choices of the embassy’s design committee.
Erickson considered himself to be a global architects, and mentored some of the leading architects in Canada today. He taught at the University of British Columbia in 1950, after graduating from McGill.
Erickson was truly a great man and architect, it was sad to see him go this year, however his memory will live on in his buildings and the Canadian architects of today.
Heleen Jacobsen
Broker of Record with InfoMarket Group GMAC Real Estate
www.infomarketgroup.com
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