Person sitting on a rocky mountain ledge overlooking a vast mountainous landscape with snow patches and cloudy sky.

Abstract black geometric shapes on a white background, forming the letters "AE100."

Step into an immersive experience of Arthur Erickson’s four principles

IMMERSIVE VIDEO

To Arthur Erickson, architecture was more than building, it was a way of understanding the world.

His designs carefully balance use, structure, landscape, and the experience of moving through a space. Every detail, how light enters a room, how a path unfolds, how materials interact with nature, was chosen to create harmony between people and place.

His designs carefully balance use, structure, landscape, and the experience of moving through a space. Every detail, how light enters a room, how a path unfolds, how materials interact with nature, was chosen to create harmony between people and place. This website explores the principles that shaped his work and continue to inspire architecture today.

The Four Principles

Site

“Site is the richest source of architectural inspiration.”

Great architecture doesn’t just sit on a site, it belongs to it. When we work with nature and place we create experiences that feel timeless and grounded.
These designs show us that buildings should respond to their surroundings, not reshape them. In our own spaces, we can think about site too—how a home embraces its landscape, how a garden connects to the seasons, or how sunlight and views shape a room.

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Light

“Light is the ultimate determinant in design.”
Light transforms a space—it can energize, calm, or inspire. It isn’t just about brightness—it’s about feeling.
Light isn’t just about brightness—it’s about feeling. Whether through a sunlit window, the glow of evening light, or the rhythm of shadows, noticing light makes us more aware of the spaces we move through every day.

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Cadence

“Cadence in architecture, as in music, offers various rhythms”
Cadence is the repetitive pace of structural elements, details, patterns and materials. It gives a sense of rhythm and composition in a building.
This is what brings alive the majesty of a space, and the dynamism we feel as we move through it. Good architecture, like good music, flows. It guides us, and lifts our souls

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Space

“Space is the spirit of architecture and also supreme aesthetic adventure.”
Space isn’t just about walls—it’s about how we move, feel, and connect. Great architecture doesn’t just define space, it shapes our experience.
Whether moving through a museum, a public square, or a home, space can guide us, frame our views, and connect us to the world around us.

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Arthur Erickson Place

The bold 27-storey concrete twin towers blend site, light, cadence, and space to create a dynamic yet tranquil environment. As you explore, notice how it interacts with its surroundings, captures natural light, stepping back from the Georgia Street, rising majestically like a Douglas Fir from a sunken plaza and landscaped to echo the local environment.

Night view of a modern building with geometric concrete grid facade, reflecting pool, and bare tree branches.

Sketches and Paintings

Before becoming a celebrated architect, Arthur Erickson expressed his love of nature and form through painting and sketching. His early artwork reveals the curiosity and vision that would guide his life’s work.

Abstract painting featuring geometric shapes, muted pastel colors, and linear forms, possibly depicting an outdoor setting with tables and umbrellas.

Unbuilt Projects

Arthur Erickson’s unbuilt projects show the breadth of his imagination. These visionary designs, though never realized, reflect his bold ideas and enduring commitment to harmony between people, place, and possibility.

Architectural model of futuristic waterfront buildings with green terraces and water channels.

AE Centennial Celebration

The Arthur Erickson Centennial celebrates 100 years of visionary design with a year-long series of exhibitions, lectures, tours, and public events. From a museum exhibition to street-level festivities, the centennial honours Erickson’s lasting impact on architecture, culture, and the Canadian landscape.

Japanese taiko drummers performing on stage with colorful banners reading 'Arthur Erickson Centennial Celebration' in the background.

Arthur Charles Erickson 1924-2009

1924
Born in Vancouver, BC, and first child to Oscar & Myrtle Erickson.
1928
Brother Donald is born.
1937
Begins painting, encouraged by his mother and inspired by family friends who were artists.
1940
At 16, Arthur Erickson’s abstract works are selected by Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris for exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, making him the youngest artist to exhibit there.
1943
Meets architect Richard Neutra at a soirée at Binning House, the first modern house in BC.
1944-46
During World War II, Arthur Erickson served in Canadian Army Intelligence in India and Malaysia spending spare time exploring the local country and sketching what he saw.
1947
After military service, Arthur Erickson, inspired by an article on Frank Lloyd Wright chose to study architecture at McGill University in Montreal. He visited Wright at Taliesin while studying at McGill.
1950
Graduates with honors in architecture from McGill University and receives a Travelling Scholarship.
1950-52
Architectural journey through Egypt, the Middle East, Europe, Scandinavia, and England.
1953
Begins teaching architecture at the University of Oregon and UBC (10 years total).
1957
Buys first Vancouver home, now owned and managed by the Arthur Erickson Foundation.
1960
Filberg House design gets Massey Medal and national attention.
1963
Erickson Massey Architects opens after winning the Simon Fraser University design competition with international acclaim.
1965
MacMillan Bloedel Building (now AE Place) is designed, and Expo 67 theme pavilions
1967-69
Designs Bank of Canada Building, and designs Canadian Pavilion for Expo ‘70 in Osaka; wins top awards.
1972
Establishes Arthur Erickson Architects in Vancouver and designs Museum of Anthropology.
1973-74
Law Courts, Robson Square, Toronto Subway stations.
1976
Designs Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto for the Toronto Symphony.
1979-80
Designs Napp Laboratories in UK, wins California Plaza LA.
1983-84
Designs the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the San Diego Convention Center.
1985-86
Awarded AIA and French Academy of Architecture Gold Medals. Designs Etisalat towers in the United Arab Emerates.
1987-1992
Designs Fresno City Hall & Kaiser Permanente Hospital, CA, and UBC Koerner Library.
1996
Designs Museum of Glass, Tacoma Washington, with NMA Oil Sector Complex, Kuwait.
2001-2005
Designs Dalian and Weihei Cultural Centres, China with NMA, and named Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
2009
Arthur Erickson passes away in Vancouver, and a grand memorial is held at his Convocation Mall, Simon Fraser University.
2012
Arthur Erickson Foundation launched.
2024-25
Arthur Erickson Centennial Celebrations feature exhibitions, tours, lectures, documentaries, and a special event with performances at his Robson Square plaza.