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Hillcrest Centre

  • Location

    Vancouver, BC

A bustling hub with a library, pool, skating rink, curling rink, gymnasium and field team rooms, the Hillcrest Centre is a joyful gathering place for children, families and community members. It's the largest aquatic and community centre facility in the Vancouver Park Board system, providing open and engaging recreation facilities, and a revitalized public site through the consolidation of three aging facilities.

Community Impact

“On a cold November Wednesday evening, the centre looked straight out of a movie set. The pool was packed with laughing children, the ice rink crowded with skaters sporting toques and the workout room filled with athletes of all abilities, as it is constantly. As I arrived and left the centre, dozens of people of all ages flowed through the front door. If there ever was a picture of success, it’s the beautifully designed Hillcrest Centre…”

Sandra Thomas, Vancouver Courier

Hillcrest Centre Audio

Listen to ambient sounds recorded inside the atrium.

Wood in Sport Video

Hillcrest Centre

British Columbia Wood

 

Hillcrest Centre Audio 

Wood in Sport Video 

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On behalf of all of us at the Vancouver Park Board, I would like to thank you and the entire consulting team for securing the timely Development Permit approval of this complex project. We were very impressed with the dedication and professionalism displayed at all stages of the Development Permit process, and in particular the coordination of the consulting team. The response to the Land Title matter was particularly noteworthy.

Piet Rutgers, Director of Planning and Operations, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

Design Challenge

Located near the geographical centre of Vancouver, the facility carefully balances the needs of both the local and broader city community. The Centre was part of a broader strategy that transformed a series of adjacent public parks through the sensitive consolidation and reorganization of existing facilities. The impetus for this rejuvenation was the siting of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Curling Venue, which provided four Olympic-size curling sheets and 6,000 spectator seats, and was converted post games to the Hillcrest Centre. Careful attention was given to reconcile Olympic requirements with the long-term legacy for this community facility.

The facility demonstrates an energetic example of civic design and receives over 2 million visitors a year. This new model has been so successful that the client is looking to see if additional facilities of similar size and program are feasible.

Client

The facility design needed to meet Vancouver Olympic Committee’s (VANOC) commitment to staging the 2010 Winter Olympics curling event while establishing a strategy for the long-term community use of the building for the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.

Location

Our Response

The roots of the formal concept of the Centre are based in the synthesis of public use, program, site conditions, and the belief that community facilities have a responsibility to contribute to the betterment of society. The end result is a project that resonates beyond the boundary of site and takes a larger role in defining the character of the community. This vital centre promotes awareness of a diverse and active community while dramatically enhancing the user experience.

  • Completion

    2011

  • Cost

    $87.5 million

  • Size

    13,450 m2

  • Award

    IAKS / International Olympic Committee Award for Exemplary Sports and Leisure Facilities - Bronze Medal 2013

  • Award

    Athletic Business Facility of Merit Award 2012

  • Award

    Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Commercial Building Awards - Overall Judge's Choice 2012

Design Process

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View all photos of #hillcrestcommunitycentre

The Hillcrest Centre Conversion was a very demanding project…it involved taking the shell of an existing building, built to house curling events for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and converting it into a Skating Rink, curling Centre, Gymnasium, Community Centre and Library. All this was completed on time and on budget, and this was only possible because of a successful team effort, including your staff and a competent sub-consultant group.

Roland Haebler, President, The Haebler Group

Mill Bay, BC

Brentwood College School Academic & Administration Building

Vancouver, BC

Granville Island 2040 Land Use Vision