Acton Ostry Architects

Situated on an active arterial corner in East Vancouver, the Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free Church stands as a beckoning beacon in an otherwise unassuming neighborhood. Masonry tower components anchor the church around a tranquil central courtyard. The sanctuary serves as the spiritual heart for worship and fellowship. A processional transition leads to a place of peace, communion, and contemplation, providing a space for the practice of faith. Natural light flows from above, casting a cruciform of blinding light onto the white-washed walls of a soaring baptistery space.

project

Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free Church

location

Vancouver, BC

client

Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free Church

completion

2009

size

3,000 m2

.

approach

sustainability

LEED Silver equivalent

awards & recognition

2004  
Canadian Award of Excellence

.

entrance

The need to combine a complex human program on a tight urban property produces a compact form carved out and articulated to create a meaningful progression from the profane to the sacred.

Canadian Architect Awards

.

lobby

.

lobby

.

sanctuary

.

pew detail

.

baptismal procession

.

baptism pool

.

cruciform cast light

.

baptismal witness

.

courtyard bridge

.

courtyard bridge

.

outer courtyard

In pursuing a goal of reconciling a place of worship to its streetwise context, the project walks a carefully measured line between providing a mannered assembly of didactic spaces with a sober and robust urban enclave.

Canadian Architect Awards