Vancouver Gallery Spaces in Danger of Demolition
Equinox and Monte Clark Galleries
The historic building once used as Finning Tractor’s paintshop—but now renovated to house two contemporary art galleries—is in dangerof imminent demolition for the proposed new Millennium Line Broadway Extension project. The iconic orange building that has become a cornerstone of the burgeoning Flats cultural district sits across from the future Emily Carr University on the Great Northern Way Campus, directly on TransLink’s proposed route for the extension. There is concern that a “cut and cover” construction method, which was used to build the Canada Line along Cambie Street, would eliminate the building as early as 2019.
Originally built in 1964 for the Finning Tractor LTD, this 20,000 square foot building was renovated between 2011 and 2013 by Equinox and Monte ClarkGalleries, who currently occupy the two spaces. Since then, the district now coined The Flats has become a cultural precinct, drawing many galleries, designers, live/work studios, and pop ups to the neighbourhood. In January 2017, the City of Vancouver asserted its commitment to arts and culture in this district:
“The health of Vancouver’s arts and cultural sector relies heavily onThe Flats. By protecting affordable industrial spaces, Vancouver canhelp sustain this critical mass that facilitates new ideas andexperimentation, fosters creative exchange between the arts of othersectors, and helps animate a vibrant local economy.”
—City of Vancouver, “Welcome to your Flats (draft plan),” part 1,January 2017
In Vancouver’s current climate of rapid expansion and active real estate market,spaces such as the Finning Building are exceptionally rare; in fact, this particular building is the last of its kind and size in the neighbourhood. Especially rare are those spaces that have been repurposed into cultural venues, two successful examples being the Roundhouse in Yaletown and 1000 Parker in East Vancouver. The Finning Building remains an icon of Vancouver’s industrial past in The Flats district, a site that was once the terminus for the industrial lines that shaped the province of BC. The loss would parallel that of the historic identity of the area.
Adele Weder, 2017–2018 editor of Canadian Architect Magazine, echoes the importance of maintaining buildings such as this one:
"The [Finning Building] would be noteworthy in any case as an example of the area’s vanishing industrial architecture. But its recent transformation by Measured Architecture and D’Arcy Jones Architecture provides us with a highly successful example of repurposing older buildings for contemporary use. That’s exactly what we have to do as a city right now, if we want to maintain anysemblance of our urban history and distinctive character."
Many members of The Flats district, including Equinox and Monte Clark Gallery, are optimistic that TransLink can modify their existing construction plans to build a new SkyTrain stop while also preserving the iconic building. Andy Sylvesterand Monte Clark, directors of the respective galleries, are keen to work with the City of Vancouver and TransLink to find a solution that protects the industrial integrity of the site while still delivering much-needed SkyTrain service to the neighbourhood.
On Saturday July 15th, both galleries are participating in The Flats Block Party, a free event where cultural organizations in the neighbourhood play host to crowds of local collectors and art-goers as exhibitions are launched, artist talks are given,and the city is brought together to celebrate the district’s success as a cultural cornerstone.
Source: Equinox Gallery and Monte Clark Gallery
