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Online Heritage Inventory

Martial Arts Centre

General Information
Thumbnail photograph of Martial Arts Centre
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Type of Resource: Building
Common Name: Martial Arts Centre
Address: 4111 Moncton Street
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name): Steveston
Construction Date: 1971
Current Owner: Municipal Government
Designated: No

Statement of Significance
Description of Site
The Martial Arts Centre sits in a park complex on Moncton Street that also houses the Steveston Community Centre and the Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
It is set back from the road and is integrated into the adjacent landscape. The one-storey building is symmetrical in design with two forward-facing wings and an upswept roof.

 Statement of Values
The Martial Arts Centre has social and cultural heritage value through its importance as a meeting place for members of the Japanese community, serving the recreational and cultural needs of its Japanese community. For those who appreciate and participate in the traditional sports of Judo and Kendo, the Martial Arts Centre recognized for its excellence in competition. The first Kendo school in Canada was the Steveston Kendo Club, formed in 1934. Richmond also has the prestige of having the only dojo house outside of Japan, which continues to produce champion Kendo and Judo competitors.
The building has aesthetic value as an excellent example of an adaptation of traditional Japanese architecture to the North American context, and the associated landscape draws upon traditional Japanese principles of garden design.

 Character Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the site include:
· Architectural features that exemplify the Japanese style, including a balanced and symmetrical front façade, the sweeping profile of the wood shingle roof, the combination of wood and stucco building cladding, and decorative cross-bracing on the front façade.
· The scale of the building within the context of the landscape.
· Landscape features based on traditional Japanese garden style as illustrated by such principles as gradually revealed views, a sense of enclosure, ‘borrowed scenery’, change in viewpoint, and the use of light, continuity, balance and scale.
· Landscape elements such as a dry stream and the use of foliage rather than flowering plants.

 History
The Martial Arts Centre sits in a park complex on Moncton Street that also houses the Steveston Community Centre and the Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
It is set back from the road and is integrated into the adjacent landscape. The one-storey building is symmetrical in design with two forward-facing wings and an upswept roof.

 Architectural Significance
Architectural Style
Traditional Japanese pavilion with modern western influences.

 Building Type
Sports Centre

 Name of Architect or Builder
Arnulf H. Petzold Dipl.-Ing., M.R.A.I.C. Architect, Dewey DeVries Construction Ltd.

 Design Features
The front facade is balanced and symmetrical, with two strong wings facing the street. The roof has a sweeping profile and is covered with wood shingles. The facade walls are a mixture of horizontal wood siding on the lower part and stucco with cross bracings on the top part.

The front entry is clearly evident with a walkway that cuts through the centre of the facade. Extensive landscaping on either side of the entrance soften its impact. Contrasting the symmetry of the building facade and the entry walkway is a dry stream which meanders from the front left of the walkway, travelling under the walkway and curving under the building to terminate in the inner courtyard. The fencing facing the street hides most, but not all of the inner courtyard, thus effectively using the Japanese garden design principle of never revealing the entire garden; but, rather creating anticipation for what lies beyond this viewpoint.

The Martial Arts Centre is a deceptively small building, with a good sense of scale and rhythm. Directly behind the Centre is the Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, also fronted by a Japanese style garden of gravel and rocks and evergreens, all of which blend with the Martial Arts Centre and become a part of it.

 Landscape Significance
Landscape Element
Gardens.

 Design Style
The Martial Arts Centre landscape design draws on traditional Japanese gardening design principles, such as enclosure. Enclosure is achieved by defining a space (the courtyard) and separating it from the outside world using such physical divisions as fences and the building itself. This courtyard space appears larger than it is; however, by use of the principle called ‘borrowed scenery’. The view beyond the courtyard is framed and enhanced by the fencing and by the building.
The design principle of continuity, balance and scale is also used here. To achieve this, stones, plants and trees are grouped in odd numbers and in the shape of triangles.
To create the illusion of distance, another important design feature, the landscaper here looks to have given careful consideration to the foreground, middle ground and background of the garden. Textures and shapes are manipulated to exaggerate depth. The dry stream suggests depth by beginning at the front of the garden and winding its way back to the interior courtyard.
The use of the ‘viewpoint’ principle is particularly well done in this garden. Japanese gardens are typically not revealed from a single viewpoint; rather, the viewer must experience the garden a little at a time, never knowing what awaits around the next curve. The dry stream on this property intrigues the visitor and creates that sense of wonder, especially when combined with the covered walkway that essentially hides most of the building and the courtyard.
The design principles of contrast, change and light are well done in this garden. For example, contrast is introduced in the difference between leaf textures, between rocks and plants, and between large and small. Change is experienced by moving through the garden, as well as by the natural seasonal changes that the plants and trees undergo. The sense of light is manipulated as the person moves from the interior of the Centre, to the space just outside and directly under the eaves, and then to the actual outside. A similar sense of light is achieved as the person moves into and out of the space under the covered walkway at the front of the building.

 Designer or Creator
Raoul Robillard Landscape Architect.

 Design Attributes
The front and side gardens are simple, yet elegant; borrowing from the traditional Japanese garden design style, but not dependent on it. The dominant colour scheme is green, which is achieved by using both deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs (such as Cotoneaster, Cedar, Juniper, Cypress,, Bamboo, etc.). Colour is introduced subtly through the use of flowering shrubs and trees (such as Magnolia, Azaleas, etc.). Ground covers are also used throughout (such as Rock Daphne, Wintercreeper and Oregon Grape).
The inner courtyard is dominated by a dry pond and more evergreens (such as Cypress, Mountain Laurel, Acuba, Photinia Fraseri, Bamboo, etc.) and deciduous shrubs and trees (such as Camelia, Japanese Maple, Azalea, etc.).

 Integrity
Alterations
There do not appear to be any alterations from the original construction.

 Original Location
Yes

 Condition
The condition of the building overall is good. The gardens are not as under control as is typical of Japanese-styled gardens.

 Lost
No

 Documentation
Evaluated By
Julie MacDonald (Julie MacDonald Heritage Consulting)

 Date
Tuesday, February 15, 2000

 Documentation
Centennial project - Martial Arts Centre for Steveston - 1971-1973. Series #17. File 2645-17. Location #6652. Municipal Records. Richmond Archives.
Martial Arts Centre, Steveston Park - 1970-1979. Series #30. File #3909-3. Location #6751. Municipal Records. Richmond Archives.
Pamphlet of the official opening, March 18, 1972; File 3909.3 Martial Arts Centre, Steveston Park, 1970-79, Series Community Clubs an Organizations, location 6751.
Press release dated March 9, 1972 and written by DG Harwood, Recreation Administrator of the Rmd Recreation Dept.
Letter dated January 6, 1970 by T.M. Youngberg, Chairman of the technical Committee of Centennial Projects, addressed to the Mayor and Aldermen of the Corp of the Township of Rmd.
File folder 2645.17 Centennial project - Martial Arts Centre for Steveston, 1971-73.
Kendall, Victoria. The Spirit of the Steveston: A History of the Steveston Community Society, Steveston Community Society, 1986.
Location and Type of Plans Found: Steveston Community Centre and Martial Arts Centre - 1969-1976. Series #520. File #6. Item #1988 77 1 to 1988 77 36. Location # Maps 4. Municipal Records. Richmond Archives.

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