Vancouver Art Gallery Selects Indigenous-Owned Architecture Firm
Following a months-long search, the Vancouver Art Gallery has named Formline Architecture + Urbanism and KPMB Architects as the architectural team to lead the next phase of design for its new purpose-built home at Larwill Park, located at 181 West Georgia Street.
Back in December 2024, the Gallery announced that it had parted ways with Swiss architecture firm of Herzog & de Meuron after costs of the much delayed project had ballooned by 50 percent, and paused construction at the site.
Vancouver Art Gallery Selects Indigenous-Owned Architecture Firm
The selection was approved by the Gallery’s Board of Trustees based on the recommendation of the Architect Selection Committee, following an in-depth review and interview process. The Committee was comprised of Board and Gallery leadership, artists, major benefactors and construction experts, bringing together broad expertise and perspectives to ensure the process reflected the Gallery’s capabilities, values and ambitions.
Selected from proposals submitted by 14 leading Canadian firms, the Gallery says this decision marks an important milestone in the Gallery’s renewed vision to create a destination for art and culture that reflects the diversity of its audiences. This is the beginning of a collaborative process toward a new conceptual design in 2026, one shaped by listening, dialogue and the perspectives of the communities the Gallery serves.
West Vancouver-based Formline Architecture + Urbanism‘s previous projects include: Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (Vancouver); First Peoples House (Victoria); O’siyam Pavilion (Squamish); Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (Whistler); Aboriginal Gathering Place (North Vancouver).
The Formline + KPMB partnership, forged through years of mutual respect and collaboration, combines Formline’s authentic, place–based Indigenous design thinking with KPMB’s proven gallery expertise and pragmatic execution. KPMB Architects founding partner Bruce Kuwabara brings a commitment to engaging diverse perspectives, which Formline, under the leadership of founder Alfred Waugh, amplifies with its unique perspective and skill set. Together, Formline + KPMB promise a new Vancouver Art Gallery that is both a local cultural beacon and an international architectural landmark, blending Indigenous and global knowledge to reflect Vancouver’s vibrant, inclusive spirit.
“Our team is deeply honoured to receive the commission to design the new Vancouver Art Gallery, as it brings my personal journey full circle in a profound way,” says Alfred Waugh, founder and principal of Formline Architecture + Urbanism. “My mother left this world too early, and during my formative years, she asked me to do something meaningful for our people—a request that has sparked my journey into architecture. Now we have been privileged with this opportunity to celebrate Vancouver’s vibrant culture while honouring the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations and paying tribute to the beautiful mountains and lush rainforests that define our region.”
