Christ Church Cathedral Exterior

Recipient of an AIBC Special Jury Award and a City of Vancouver Heritage Award, Proscenium has executed four phases of upgrades to the Christ Church Cathedral. The most recent renewal replaced the roof, improving weather protection and thermal performance while integrating acoustic upgrades and completing the seismic diaphragm—all the while protecting and preserving the building’s important heritage architecture. The new assembly terminates at the original Douglas Fir ceilings, conceals a new steel seismic diaphragm, and features increased insulation and improved acoustic separation.

The crowning feature of the most recent project is the addition of a bell-spire at the north-east corner of the Cathedral set atop the existing elevator core. This open glass and steel structure, which houses four custom cast bronze bells, beautifully balances contemporaneity in a reification of the Church’s spirit of outreach and inclusion. The stained-glass tower takes material inspiration from the heritage building and formal cues from the modernist concrete elevator shaft it surmounts—serving as a bridge between the two elements.