Acton Ostry Architects

Located on an active arterial corner in East Vancouver, the Vancouver Chinese Evangelical Free Church is a beckoning beacon in an otherwise unassuming neighbourhood. Masonry tower components anchor the church around a quiet central courtyard. The sanctuary is the spiritual heart for worship and fellowship. A processional transition leads to a place of peace, communion and contemplation where one can practice their 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.

approach

sustainability

LEED Silver equivalent

awards & recognition

2004  
Canadian Award of Excellence

entrance.

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

lobby.

lobby

sanctuary.

sanctuary

pew detail.

pew detail

baptismal procession.

baptismal procession

baptism pool.

baptism pool

cruciform cast light.

cruciform cast light

baptismal witness.

baptismal witness

courtyard bridge.

courtyard bridge

courtyard bridge.

courtyard bridge

outer courtyard.

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