Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1977-2006 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
13,206 architectural drawings, 61.6 m of textual records, 7,205 photographs, 137 presentation panels, and other material
Other material:
7 aerial photographs
10 maps
1 poster
135 computer diskettes
1 VHS video
1 paintbrush
1 figurine
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Bing Thom Architects (BTA) was established in 1981 in Vancouver by Bing Thom. The firm’s wide-ranging and award winning work in the 1980s and 90s is closely associated with the urban development of Vancouver and the Vancouverism model of city planning. The firm specialized in mixed-use high-rise projects as well as civic and cultural projects such as the Chan Centre, Arena Stage, and Surrey City Centre Library. BTA designed pavilions for both Expo ’86 in Vancouver and Expo ’92 in Seville Spain. Thom was also involved in large-scale city planning projects including city centre planning for Yuxi, China, and city and waterfront planning for both Vancouver and Dalian, China. BTA worked extensively in Vancouver but also internationally with offices in Hong Kong, Washington D.C., and Beijing. Michael Heeney served as managing principal for Bing Thom Architects from 1989 to 2017.
Bing Wing Thom was born December 8, 1940 in Hong Kong. In 1950, the Thom family immigrated to Canada, settling in Vancouver. Thom received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of British Columbia (1966), and his Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley (1969). Thom initially taught architecture at the University of Singapore before moving to Tokyo to work for Japanese architect-urbanist Fumihiko Maki in 1971. He returned to Canada in 1972 as the project director for Arthur Erickson Architects. Thom was closely involved in some of Erickson’s prominent Canadian projects, including Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto (1977) and Robson Square Courthouse Complex in Vancouver (1973-1979). Thom also oversaw Erickson’s international projects including the Air Defence Ministry Building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Bing Thom Architects received numerous awards for design and planning over its four decades of architectural work. Bing Thom is among Canada’s most well-known architects, having garnered both national and international acclaim for his work. He also became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1995, and was a recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to Canada in 2002. Bing Thom Architects received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) award for Firm of the Year in 2010, and in 2011, Thom received the RAIC’s highest honour, the RAIC Gold Medal. Bing Thom died in Hong Kong, October 4, 2016 at the age of 75. Bing Thom Architects was renamed Revery Architecture in 2017. Venelin Kokalov, Stani Kokalova, and Shinobu Homma are the principals and the firm remains based in Vancouver.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Fonds was donated to the Canadian Architectural Archives by Bing Thom Architects on 26 August 2015.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The fonds consists of records documenting the architectural projects of Bing Thom Architects from 1980 to 2006. The majority of the work documented is in the Greater Vancouver Area, but also included are several projects in Hong Kong, China, Texas, and Saskatoon. Records include architectural drawings, project files, photographs, and presentation panels documenting over eighty of Bing Thom Architects projects. Among the notable projects represented in the fonds are Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, False Creek Yacht Club, Canada Pavilion Expo ’92, Georgia Hotel, BC Place Convention Centre, Pacific Canada Pavilion Vancouver Aquarium, Homer Tower, The Pointe, Dalian New Town Masterplan, and Aberdeen Centre. The architectural drawings in the fonds include extensive documentation of the preliminary design stages with sketches, conceptual drawings, and design development drawings well represented in the files. The fonds has one Series, Project Records, which has been divided into 5 subseries: 1. Project Lists, 2. Drawings, 3. Files, 4. Photographs, and 5. Presentation Panels.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
The University of Calgary fulfills requests for materials in our collections in accordance with Canadian copyright laws. The University of Calgary does not hold the copyright for materials in the Bing Thom Architects fonds. The University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources may provide materials for individual study and research purposes under fair dealing and library exceptions in the Canadian Copyright Act. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use the content must be obtained for any works under copyright protection. Patrons are responsible for ensuring they use copyright-protected works in accordance with applicable laws.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Accessions: Includes archival material from accession 2015.039