Due to lack of sufficient budget, the construction of the new building of the Vancouver Art Gallery entrusted to the firm Herzog & de Meuron was first suspended in August, before its definitive cancellation. This turnaround puts an end to more than 10 years of preparation: “a disappointment”underlines the museum in The Architect’s Newspaper.
In 2014, the Herzog & de Meuron firm was chosen to design a 9-story, 35,000 m² building on the corner of Cambie and West Georgia Street in Vancouver (Canada). Estimated at 350 million Canadian dollars (240 million euros), its cost increased to 600 million (410 million euros) following the increase in construction costs between 2020 and 2024.
But the fund, formed partly thanks to private donors and 37% public contributions, turns out to be much lower than the new budget: 400 million Canadian dollars (275 million euros). In December 2024, Anthony Viande, director of the Vancouver Art Gallery, announced that he was breaking up with Herzog & de Meuron to adapt the project to the funds raised.
The initial building was to include a copper facade, a tribute to indigenous weaving, in line with the museum’s commitment to indigenous creations.
The Vancouver Art Gallery, located in the heart of Vancouver, is the largest art museum in Western Canada. Founded in 1931, it houses a rich collection of more than 12,000 works, covering a vast historical period. It particularly highlights Canadian art, with a focus on indigenous artists and an emblematic collection dedicated to Emily Carr (1871-1945).
