There is something old and something new at Richmond City Hall. But first, in the last 15 years or so, the city of Richmond BC has evolved rapidly to become more and more urbanized from what was predominantly a piece of fertile farmland. The new City Hall constructed in 2000 was a direct response to the urban development, providing a modern urban civic structure in a suburban context.
Located between the north and south arms of the Fraser River, Richmond’s soil is rich in silt and sand which is what makes the city such an ideal ground for agriculture. At the same time the soft and shifty foundation makes the city particularly vulnerable to earthquake destructions. Not to mention sea water flooding as the city of about 200,000 is largely below sea-level.
The Richmond City Hall at 6911 No. 3 Road was designed to withstand strong earthquakes so people can still be evacuated safely. Large glass windows that encased the building maximize daylight and sustainability was an important design principle. It is 27/69 LEED certified which allows an annual energy savings of $32,674. A Feng Shui master was also called in to ’harmonize’ the structure with its surrounding which is populated by a very large number of Asian-Canadians. The Richmond City Hall aims to be an open-space building that welcomes the public as visitors.
The city’s past is not forgotten either. Fallen soldiers of the two world wars from Richmond BC were memorialized at the Richmond Cenotaph. The cenotaph was originally erected in 1922 for World War One soldiers. Then in 1949, names of soldiers who died in World War Two were added. In all, 26 names were marked for those who were killed in WWI while the WWII rooster had 36 names. An inscription reads: “They Died For You.”
The southern section of the building contains a stepped waterfall which descends to a lush green oasis. Here is also where large 2010 Olympics banners can still be seen to signify that Richmond was an official 2010 Olympic Games Venue City and the legacies of the 2010 Games live on at City Hall and most notably, the Richmond Olympic Oval built for speed-skating competitions.
Within the perimeters of the City Hall building itself are a number of public art pieces by Elizabeth Roy titled “Span” with laser-incised drawings of weather, clouds, bridges, cannery, tidal pools etc. on them.
Richmond City Hall is modern architecture designed for civic business and open space public involvement. There are public art expressions, a memorial that paid tribute to the fallen soldiers in the two great wars and a centralized location that enables the spirit of the 2010 Olympic Games to thrive and prosper in the future.
