Alliance Française Vancouver Unveils New Facility

×

Expand

The new Alliance Française Vancouver facility (photo courtesy of Alliance Française Vancouver)

The Alliance Française Vancouver (AFV) has unveiled its new cultural facility, at 6161 Cambie Street, Vancouver. 

The $24-million, 30,000-square-foot community hub will be the largest, independent cultural facility in BC and will serve the region’s francophone and French-speaking community, according to the news release.

It will include a 1,120-square-foot art gallery (visible from the street), 2,700 square feet of artist studio space, a media library, a 165-seat theatre, a bistro and cafe, a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes, plus 16 classrooms. The studio space will offer affordable rentals for artist residencies, according to the release.

Plans for the building began in 2015, and in 2021, the original location was torn down to make way for the new facility, designed by the Vancouver-based architectural firm, McFarland Marceau. The development has been funded by all levels of government, as well as foundations, private companies and individual donors.

The new building is now the third-largest Alliance Française location in North America, after New York and Toronto.  Alliance Française Vancouver is part of the global network of Alliances Françaises, which includes 834 centres in 132 countries.

“We are thrilled to unveil our new landmark cultural facility, devoted to preserving and celebrating the French language and thriving francophone cultures present in Vancouver today,” says Damien Hubert, Alliance Française Vancouver’s executive director. 

“Our mission is for AFV to be a vital gathering space for creativity and community.”

Source: Alliance Française Vancouver