Vancouver Art Gallery opens up shortlist ring to five international design heavyweights

The heat is on in the architectural competition for Vancouver Art Gallery's new downtown home on a site at West Georgia and Cambie Streets. From a pool of 75 applicants, the gallery narrowed down a shortlist of five firms — all of which are no strangers to designing world-class exhibition spaces.

The five finalists are:

• Diller Scofidio + Renfro (New York)
• Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects (New York)
• Herzog & de Meuron (Basel)
• KPMB Architects (Toronto)
• SANAA (Tokyo)

Could this be the welcome redemption time for TWBTA after it was announced just yesterday that DS+R's MoMA expansion will officially raze the much beloved American Folk Art Museum? (*ding ding ding!*) Stay tuned for updates and read on for the gallery's announcement.

"Architects were invited to submit their credentials through an open request for qualifications (RFQ) process issued by the Vancouver Art Gallery in September 2013, following the Vancouver City Council’s unanimous approval to designate the city - owned site a t West Georgia and Cambie Streets for the new Gallery. The Gallery’s Architect Selection Committee evaluated firms based on their ability to address the principal goals and objectives of the building project: to create an architecturally significant visual art museum that places prominence on artists and art and that celebrates the rich cultural context of Vancouver. Each submission was also assessed by a Technical Review Panel — a team of experts in architecture, design, and urban planning — who shared their f indings with the selection committee. The Gallery will conduct in - person interviews with each of the finalists in the coming months and expects to be able to announce the final architect in spring 2014."

"“The architects short - listed for the design of our new home collectively reflect the global aspirations and achievements of our museum,” said Bruce Munro Wright, Chair of the Gallery’s Board of Trustees and Chair of the Architect Selection Committee. “Each firm we selected is recognized for innovation and excellence in creating new spaces for engagement with arts and culture, and each demonstrated a strong and creative architectural vision that would support our mission and enhance Vancouver’s standing as one of the most exciting international centres of cu ltural production.”

The new museum building will allow the Vancouver Art Gallery to better serve its visitors, more fully realize the international reach and range of its mission and program, and will provide an international platform for local and regio nal artists. The new building will offer dedicated space for the Gallery’s growing collections, expanded indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces for its dynamic exhibitions, and new educational facilities that will allow the museum to dramatically increase it s educational and public programs.

“The announcement of our short - list marks an exciting milestone in the realization of our new home in downtown Vancouver,” says Gallery Director Kathleen S. Bartels. “As a champion of the many great artists from this p lace, the Vancouver Art Gallery has become a keystone of the country’s cultural community and a beacon internationally for cross - cultural dialogue and exchange in the visual arts. The new Gallery will tell the many stories of art - making in British Columbia , the Asia Pacific, and throughout the world, and will further strengthen links between diverse communities locally, nationally, and internationally.”"

Who do you think will make the race? Let us know in the comment section below.