Description of Historic Place

BCIT Hangar, also known as Building T-131 and the Britannia Hangar is located at the centre of the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. It is comprised of long two-storey central aircraft bays flanked by symmetrical, one-storey administrative wings on either side. It features thin, exposed concrete ribs that support a low arched roof that extend to either side. The exterior walls consist primarily of a concrete block and red brick base with full curtain wall glazing above. The principal façade is equipped with full-width retractable metal doors with smaller openings at the apex to allow for aircraft tail assemblies. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

BCIT Hangar is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical value
BCIT Hangar is associated with the rapid expansion of Canadian commercial aviation during the mid 1950s as well as the development of passenger air travel. Although it was built for Canadian Pacific Airlines (CPA) to originally house turboprop aircraft, the hangar heralded a new era in jet travel and CPA’s development through its later use to store long-range jets. By the 1950’s, CPA had become a major international carrier with the Vancouver International Airport as the hub of a network linking five continents. The growth of CPA is attributed to its president at the time, Grant McConachie, who was recognized for pioneering the development of air service in northwestern Canada and for instigating the first circumpolar route, from Vancouver to Amsterdam. Built under his direction, the hangar is a good example of the third phase of the airport’s development, notably the rapid expansion that began following the Second World War, when air travel had become an established mode of transportation and resulted in an increased demand for hangar facilities in the South Terminal. The building’s impact on the development of the airport is attributed to its role as the main hangar for CPA until the creation of the North Terminal in the late 1960s.

Architectural value
BCIT Hangar is a good example of a Modernist industrial style building, reflected through the simplicity and practicality of its design, and the well-balanced composition of its large, vaulted aircraft bay and adjoining administrative blocks. Uniformly spaced, exposed parabolic concrete ribs support the low arched roof and extend through to the exterior, signalling the stylistic focus on structural expression and defining the clean lines of the building’s vaulted geometry. Its simple, rectilinear plan, lack of ornamentation, and the horizontality of its brick and concrete base enhance this basic form. The transparency of ample curtain wall glazing provides an abundance of natural light and lends an artful lightness to the structure. The hangar was designed by German engineer Otto Safir, who is associated with the modern movement in Vancouver in the 20th century. The hangar exhibits a good functional design in its versatile layout and a simple, highly competent engineering system. The building was skilfully built with durable and good quality materials including a glazed curtain wall system, brick and aluminum cladding, and a pre-cast concrete and block structure.

Environmental value
Located amidst a variety of building types, sizes and styles within the setting of the South Terminal, BCIT Hangar is compatible with the present, heterogeneous character of the area. The hangar is situated at the centre of the terminal and is surrounded by the paved surfaces of an apron to the east and circulation routes on the remaining sides. Although the hangar’s functional relationship to the airfield remains, the relationship between the building and its site has changed as buildings originally affiliated with its function were demolished and new ones built. The hangar is a familiar landmark to the nearby community of Richmond.

Sources: Judith Defresne, Richmond, British Columbia, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report 06-107; BCIT Hangar T-131, Richmond, British Columbia, Heritage Character Statement, 06-107.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of BCIT Hangar should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and functional design, and good craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- its well-balanced massing, with a large, vaulted aircraft bay flanked on both sides by symmetrical one-storey administrative blocks;
- its simple, rectangular floor plan, with a column-free interior space, providing flexibility for the maintenance and storage of aircraft;
- its typical vaulted, single-span hangar design;
- its durable, economic and low-maintenance materials such as concrete, curtain wall, brick and aluminum cladding;
- the monumentality of the principal façade with its narrow band of windows across the full width of retractable doors;
- the horizontal expression of its brick and concrete block base;
- its Modernist style, popular in Canadian architecture in the 1950s, including its absence of ornamentation;
- the clean lines and lightness of its thin, parabolic pre-cast concrete ribs that spring from the base and pass through the exterior side walls to support the low arched roof;
- its curtain wall technology which creates planar surfaces, emphasizes uniformity and transparency, and lends an airiness to the structure.

The manner in which the building is compatible with its urban setting and is a familiar landmark in the neighbourhood, as evidenced by:
- its location within the heterogeneous setting of the South Terminal;
- its identification as a significant Modernist structure;
- its prominent siting at the centre of the Terminal.