Pipe Shop Venue at the Shipyards / Proscenium Architecture + Interiors Inc

Architects: Proscenium Architecture, Interiors Inc
Location: 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver, BC V7L 0B2, Canada
Architect In Charge: Kori Chan
Design Team: James AV Bligh, Yungi Choi
Area: 9050.0 ft2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Sam Pat – Picture and Color Media

Project Manager: Dianna Foldi
Structure Consultant: Weiler Smith Bowers Consulting Structural Engineers, Rocky Point Engineering Ltd., AES Engineering Ltd.
Contractor And Construction Manager: Novacom Building Partners Ltd.
Millworker: Lauten Woodworking Ltd.
Client: City of North Vancouver

From the architect. Proscenium worked with the City of North Vancouver to renovate the Pipe Shop Venue at the Shipyards into an adaptable and desirable community event space. On a tight budget and schedule, we sought to bring out the best in the 1940’s Pipefitter’s Building by using white paint to focus attention on the heavy timber structure (and pair well with wedding dresses!).

Locating a small addition of washrooms, a servery, and a projector surface to the far end of the building, the remainder of the space was left flexible for a wide variety of community events. Following the opening on April 8th, the Pipe Shop has hosted numerous weddings, yoga classes, galas, dinners, pop-up markets, the recurring Shipyards Night Market, learning initiatives, photo shoots, floor hockey, a quilt show, a 5K run, a children’s fundraiser, a tech convention, and private events. Future planned functions include a fashion show, a travel expo, Oktoberfest, a haunted house, Saint Patrick’s Day, a photography festival, and a Tsleil-Waututh Nation Career Fair!

Space for a future upper floor and additional programming has been provided behind the projector surface. A red corridor has been carved out of the addition to direct the public to the washrooms and energize the atmosphere in the venue. Three shades of white and two shades of red paint were used to further accent the geometry within the venue. Paint colours were selected to perfectly match available shades of Johnsonite Resilient Rubber Wall Base. We have been thrilled to watch the community enjoy the facility as much as we enjoyed working on it!