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There aren’t many places in Vancouver that are both public and can provide shelter from the rain. When the need to take cover occurs, we often find ourselves running to the nearest coffee shop or retail store, thus being confronted with the pressure to patronize.

This is the genesis of the proposal. Provide shelter from the rain that is public in nature. The major dilemma with this endeavor is then how can we achieve a covered space that people want to be under. My proposal is simple: build a canopy that people enjoy being under-anytime of year.

The proposal is inspired by a historic photo of the English Bay Bathhouse that shows that the building, over one hundred years ago, had a rooftop covering. I’ve always considered the current state of the bathhouse rooftop to be lacking and very much in need of some love. The concrete rooftop has a few benches strewn around but that’s about it. Even though it’s in an excellent location in the city, it is in my opinion a surprisingly dreadful place to spend time.

The canopy would be made from a simple hollow tube steel structure. Easy to make, economic, and durable. It can be made in segments that bolt together.The posts would be similar to this. Round steel tubes, sleeved and bolted into the frame, making it easy to erect. To cover it we would take advantage of the skilled marine industry and make use of a shrink wrapped vinyl system. The vinyl would have a printed graphic that can easily be changed based on event or season.The vinyl would be light yet strong. And the whole canopy could be angled slightly to shed water in one direction if needed.

Inside of the frame we would have lighting mounted to each structural member.This would give it an incredible glowing quality that would make the canopy a fun place to be whether in the dark rainy season or during a summer evening. I can imagine a whole series of events playing out underneath.

The form of the canopy is, I would say, water like. It is playful in that it gets thinner in some portions and thicker in others. Thinner parts would let the rain in at certain parts of the rooftop so that people are still confronted with the rain in a fun way. Other parts are wider than the rooftop which could provide shelter and shade to the main bathroom entries on the ground floor water side.