Online Heritage Inventory
Hangar No.1 - South Terminal
General Information
Type of Resource:
Building
Common Name:
Hangar #1 South Terminal
Address:
5160 Airport Road
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name):
Sea Island
Construction Date:
1931
Current Owner:
Federal Government
Designated:
No
Statement of Significance
Description of Site
Hangar No. 1 is an arch-roofed industrial structure located at the end of Airport Road in the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport. It is surrounded by the open flat land of Sea Island and by similarly scaled structures designed to accommodate airport activity.
Statement of Values
Hangar No. 1 is considered to be an excellent example of an early functional hangar structure. As a rare survivor of this style of hangar, it is an important component of the South Terminal area where it is part of a compatible and contiguous grouping of structures of similar scale and function. This hangar is one of two identical structures designed by architect Arthur Bird, Vancouver City Architect, for the Vancouver Airport in 1931. It has an association with the original design and development of the Sea Island Airport, with the important aviation industry which developed in Richmond, and with the role of the airport during World War II as a major centre for air defense, aircraft and munitions plants, and RCAF training programs. As part of the war effort, Hangar No. 1 has symbolic connections to aviation history and our sense of nationalism.
Character Defining Elements
· The building’s style as an early functional hangar structure, the huge barrel vault creating an arched roof which sweeps up at the sides over a large, unarticulated interior space, its massing, and reinforced concrete building material
· The attached building to the side which has strong, modern vertical elements and recessed windows complementing the curves of the hangar structure
· The combination of the building’s style and its function, and the powerful sweeping form of the architecture which is a landmark in the South Terminal
· The retention of the building’s context, orientation, and strong relationship to the spatial configuration of the South Terminal, and to the other buildings on the site
· Its continued use as an aircraft facility and all of the planes and industrial objects in and around the hangar which support this use.
History
Hangar No. 1 is an arch-roofed industrial structure located at the end of Airport Road in the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport. It is surrounded by the open flat land of Sea Island and by similarly scaled structures designed to accommodate airport activity.
Architectural Significance
Architectural Style
Functional
Building Type
Transportation - Hangar
Name of Architect or Builder
The architect for Hangar #1 was Arthur J. Bird.
Design Features
The hangar is square in plan with a concrete foundation. The construction material is assumed to be concrete and timber. A huge barrel vault creates an arched roof over a large, unarticulated interior space. The front façade has large glass and timber folding doors along its entire width. Earlier photographs show an attached two-storey service/office building on the south side which is still in place; this has been expanded to provide additional office space. A rectangular structure has been added to the rear of the building. The windows are industrial sash in design. The roof is covered in asphalt and the cladding is wood, plaster and glass.
Construction Method
Assumed to be reinforced concrete.
Landscape Significance
Landscape Element
Cultural landscape – Industrial.
Integrity
Alterations
The context of the hangar has changed due to the realignment of Airport Road. Additions to the south side and rear of the hangar lessen its integrity and architectural impact.
Original Location
Yes
Condition
The structure is considered to be in good condition.
Lost
No
Documentation
Evaluated By
Denise Cook BLA, PBD (Public History)
Date
Sunday, September 24, 2000
Documentation
Inventory Sheets by Foundation Group Designs, January 1990
“Heritage Inventory Phase II” by Foundation Group Designs May 1989
“City of Richmond Heritage Inventory” by Julie MacDonald September 2000
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