Engineering BC Place Stadium

Part of the fabric of British Columbia, Vancouver’s 55,000-seat BC Place Stadium hosts hundreds of events each year, including sports, concerts, trade shows and conventions. The stadium opened in 1983 as Canada’s first domed stadium, covered by the world’s largest air-supported dome roof.

Location

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Client

BC Pavilion Corporation

Project Status

Completed in 2011

Architect

Stantec

25 years later, it became clear a revitalization was needed, both to renew the stadium’s place as a Vancouver icon and make it a worthy host of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

As lead consultant, we worked with roof designer Geiger Engineers to produce an integrated design for the upgraded stadium, covering all engineering disciplines. The award-winning project was completed in two phases, starting with the interior upgrades to public spaces within the stadium, and as many structural upgrades as possible prior to the Olympics. In the second phase, the roof was replaced and the entrances and back-of- house areas revamped.

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The stadium now enjoys enhanced amenities, including field, seating, audiovisual systems, acoustics, illumination and ventilation. Its cable truss retractable roof transforms the building into an open-air sports venue when needed, while an integrated network of energy-efficient, digitally controlled architectural lighting illuminates the stadium on command, animating the city’s skyline. An innovative and holistic design approach has breathed new life into the stadium, transforming it into a world-class, modern facility and cementing its place as a Vancouver landmark.