In Memoriam - Arthur Erickson, 1924-2009

Arthur Erickson, Vancouver's legendary architect died yesterday at the age of 84. This is my photo of his Evergreen Building, circa 1978.

Mr. Erickson's aesthetic exploration of concrete and glass made him an artist among architects. He was influenced by nature, zen simplicity, the horizontal planes of landscape and water. Visionary to the end, his later works push the limits of skyscraper verticality. Each floor of the The Erickson, now under construction on the shores of False Creek, is slightly askew and twisted from the one below. The 72 story condo/Ritz-Carlton, that was started on downtown West Georgia and then shelved due to recessionary pressures, would have carried this pleasing, natural spinal twist to new heights.

For his official biography and portfolio of his worldwide work, please see his website.

For colourful commentary on a life well and truly lived, and more pics of his latest "twisty" buildings, I recommend the forum discussion at the skyscraperpage.com. This website is a treasurehouse for those who care about modern architecture.