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Henriquez Partners Architects
598 W Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6B 2A3

+1 604 687 5681

Work

York Theatre

Vancouver, BC
2013
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A cherished 100-year-old vaudeville theatre is saved

The York Theatre renovation is the result of a decade long struggle to save the historic community theatre from demolition. Built in 1913 as the Alcazar Theatre, the building changed identities over its 100-year history and hosted everything from live theatre, punk rock concerts and Bollywood movie screenings. Originally targeted for demolition and redevelopment as townhouses, a community group lobbied City Council to instate a 90-day demolition stop work order. In collaboration with Jim Green, Henriquez completed a feasibility study that demonstrated the viability of reinvesting in the theatre. With the financial backing from the City of Vancouver and an enlightened local developer, the York Theatre was saved and rehabilitated through a heritage and density transfer.

The project involved a full restoration of the entry to match the 1939 Art Deco facade, renovation of the theatre to transform the former facility into a modern performance venue, and a lobby addition. An expanse of glass in the new lobby makes the theatre open and accessible to people in the community, and animates the street life on Commercial Drive. The locally sourced, red glass tile adorning the lobby exterior frames the crowd of theatregoers and recalls the red curtain that reveals the stage performance inside. Now operated by the Vancouver East Cultural Centre (CULTCH), the theatre has become a cultural hub and has demonstrated that through collaboration meaningful projects can be salvaged.

Project Specs Page 1
Type
  • Institutional + Civic
  • Heritage
Location

Vancouver, BC

Size

6,171 ft2

Awards
  • City of Vancouver Urban Design Awards, Government and institutional building, 2016
  • Heritage BC Honour Award, 2014
Gallery
Aerial View from Commercial Drive looking Northwest
View from Commercial Drive looking Southwest
View of Entrance Lobby
View of Theatre
60 W Cordova TELUS Garden Residential

Henriquez Partners Architects
598 W Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6B 2A3
Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh Traditional Territory

+1 604 687 5681

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  • Join Us
  • Contact
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Henriquez Partners Architects
598 W Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6B 2A3
Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh
Traditional Territory

+1 604 687 5681

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