Vancouver Aquatic Centre
Vancouver, British Colombia
In Collaboration with Acton Ostry Architects
-
Aquatic Centre (25m Lap Pool, Leisure Pool, Dive Tower and Dive Tanks, Hot Pool, Sauna, Wet Classroom, On-Deck Spectators), Fitness, Studio, Multipurpose Room, Cultural Space
-
Structural: RJC
Mechanical: AME
Electrical: MCW
Civil: Aplin Martin
Landscape: PWL -
2025 Canadian Architect: Award of Excellence
The Vancouver Aquatic Centre is a bold, renewed expression of the city’s cultural values. While providing for both high-performance sport and community leisure and fitness programs, the complex also connects with the iconic Vancouver shoreline, honouring its Indigenous history. The building replaces an end-of-life 1974 aquatics facility, upgrading the latter for competition standards, seismic standards, operational efficiency and longevity, air quality, and occupant comfort. Its design closely integrates advanced sustainability measures with the City of Vancouver’s commitments to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s 94 Recommendations and UNDRIP strategies.
The Aquatic Centre is situated within one of Canada’s densest neighbourhoods but also adjacent to the historic Squamish Nation seasonal village of Senakw and along Vancouver’s English Bay waterfront. This prominent site is beloved for its sweeping beaches, ocean views, and popular seawall trail.
Coast Salish S’iltexwawtxw: Shed Roof Plank House Architecture, A Stó:lo-Coast Salish Historical Atlas
The building’s exterior expression honours Coast Salish architecture through its cladding: large, profiled and lapped glass-fibre reinforced panels echo the plank house overlapping massive cedar planks secured over heavy interior timber frames.
Within the soaring Aquatics Hall, world-class 10m platform diving, synchronized springboard diving, and short-course swim training amenities provide a striking backdrop for families, youth, and seniors participating in health and wellness, learn-to-swim, and leisure swim programs. The community-focused programming also offers universal changerooms, multipurpose rooms, fitness and cultural spaces.
The design targets advanced sustainability standards on several fronts: it is North America’s first Passive House aquatic centre. Passive inBlue drum filters optimize water and air quality, energy and water consumption, and operational efficiency. A fully electrified design taps into British Columbia’s renewable hydroelectric grid, achieving zero operational carbon emissions as well as meeting the City of Vancouver’s 40% embodied carbon reduction mandate.
