Gesamtkunstwerk (def. ‘life as a total work of art’) is an unprecedented look into architectural creativity in action – the thinking behind the design of the Vancouver House project designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group, a creative synthesis of art, architecture, interiors, urbanism and energy with public-mindedness.

This curated exhibition showcases Vancouver’s architectural coming of age from the 1950s through to 2018. The exhibition, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), features multi-media platforms and includes scale models, see-through drawings, videos, 3D wall texts and recorded narration from city-building visionaries. Highlights include a 1955 pencil sketch imagining a “futuristic” Vancouver by renowned architect Arthur Erickson, imagery of the public artwork “spinning chandelier” by artist Rodney Graham, and a scale model of the new city-defining Vancouver House by BIG.

Gesamtkunstwerk will open to the public on Saturday, March 22 through May 19, 2014 in a former storage shed located at 1460 Howe Street in Vancouver. Admission is free of charge.

This is an important time for city-building in Vancouver. Westbank developed the exhibition to provide Vancouverites and visitors with an opportunity to look at the city through its building design – past, present and future. This show opens up the world of architecture and development to reveal “total design.”

For more information on Gesamtkunstwerk, please visit http://gwerk.westbankcorp.com