Arthur Erickson

Arthur Charles Erickson, CC, FAIA (June 14, 1924 – May 20, 2009) was a Canadian architect and urban planner. He studied Asian languages at the University of British Columbia, and later earned a degree from the School of Architecture at McGill University. He is renowned for designing some of the most recognizable buildings and sites in Canada, including Roy Thompson Hall, Robson Square, the Museum of Glass and the Simon Fraser University campus.

Erickson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 14, 1924. The son of Oscar Erickson and Myrtle Chatterson, he served in the Canadian Army Intelligence Corps during World War II. After graduating from the School of Architecture at McGill University in 1950, Erickson traveled a few years then taught at the University of Oregon and subsequently the University of British Columbia. After teaching, he worked for a few years at Thompson Berwick and Pratt and Partners before he went on to design houses in partnership with Geoffrey Massey. In 1963, Erickson and Massey submitted the winning design for Simon Fraser University.

Erickson's earlier buildings were often modernist concrete structures designed to respond to the natural conditions of their locations, especially climate. Many buildings, such as the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, are inspired by the post and beam architecture of the Coastal First Nations. Additionally, Erickson is also known for numerous futuristic designs such as the Fresno City Hall and the Biological Sciences Building at the University of California, Irvine.

The personal selection of Arthur Erickson as the architect for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC by then-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was controversial, because Trudeau overruled the objections and choices of the embassy's design committee. Erickson's biographer Nicholas Olsberg described the building as "making fun of the ridiculous terms to which buildings must adhere in Washington... mocking the US and all of its imperial pretensions."

Erickson was mentor of many other noted local architects and urbanists, including founding members of many of Vancouver's premier design-oriented architectural firms. His buildings were also the subject of painting by famous artists including Vancouver artist Tiko Kerr.

In 1973, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1981. In 1986, he received the AIA Gold Medal. Erickson lived in Point Grey with his life partner and interior design collaborator, Francisco Kripacz.

He died in Vancouver on May 20, 2009.

• 1955: Killam-Massey House, West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• 1958: Filberg Residence, Comox, British Columbia, Canada
• 1960: Dyde House, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
• 1963: Graham House, West Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1965: MacMillan Bloedel Building, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1965: Smith Residence, West Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1965 onward in stages: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
• 1967 Catton House (with Geoffrey Massey)
• 1968: Hi-View Estates Port Moody, British Columbia
• 1970: Government of Canada pavilion, Expo '70, Osaka, won top architectural award Aug 17, 1970.
• 1970: Ross Street Sikh Temple, Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver
• 1971: University Hall, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta
• 1973: Champlain Heights Elementary School, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1976: Haida longhouse-inspired Museum of Anthropology at UBC, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1978: Eglinton West Subway Station, Toronto, Ontario - with Clifford & Lawrie
• 1978: Yorkdale Subway Station, Toronto, Ontario
• 1978: Evergreen Building, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1978-1983 in stages: Robson Square, Provincial Law Courts, and Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 1979: Bank of Canada Building addition, Ottawa, Ontario (with Marani Rounthwaite & Dick)
• 1982: Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ontario
• 1983: Napp Laboratories, Cambridge, England
• 1984: King's Landing, Toronto, Ontario
• 1985: One California Plaza, Los Angeles, California
• 1987: Admiralty Place housing, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (with Cowle and Martin)
• 1988: Dalhousie University Law Library (building addition), Halifax, Nova Scotia
• 1989: Canadian Chancery, Washington, DC
• 1989: Markham Civic Centre, Markham, Ontario (with Richard Stevens Architects Limited)
• 1989: Convention Center, San Diego, California
• 1989: The Kingbridge Centre, King City, Ontario
• 1989: Inn at Laurel Point addition, Victoria, British Columbia
• 1991: Fresno City Hall, Fresno, California
• 1991: McGaugh Hall, University of California, Irvine
• 1992: Two California Plaza, Los Angeles, California
• 1997: Walter C. Koerner Library, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
• 2001: Waterfall Building, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2007: RCMP Heritage Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan
• 2009: new Portland Hotel, Vancouver
• 2009: Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, USA
• 2009: Canada House, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2010: The Erickson, Vancouver, British Columbia
• 2016: Trump International Hotel and Tower, Vancouver, British Columbia

Arthur Erickson divided the archives of his work among several Canadian repositories. The Canadian Architecture Collection of McGill University holds his Middle East projects from 1975-1997, as well as other architectural drawings and biographical and professional papers from pre-1950 to 1987. The Canadian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary hold materialthat covers the 1963-1970 years. The Canadian Centre for Architecture fonds documents his work from 1947-2002.

Honorary degrees from universities

• D.Eng. (Honoris Causa), Technical University of Nova Scotia, 1973
• LL.D. (Honoris Causa), Simon Fraser University, 1973
• LL.D. (Honoris Causa), McGill University, 1975
• LL.D. (Honoris Causa), University of Manitoba, 1978
• LL.D. (Honoris Causa), University of Lethbridge, 1981
• D.Lit. (Honoris Causa), University of British Columbia, 1985
• D.Lit. (Honoris Causa), Lakehead University, 1988
• M.Arch., The School of Architecture at Taliesin, 2001