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Interior daytime view of Richmond City Hall three-storey galleria showing use of Glue-laminated timber (Glulam) beams and columns supporting expansive solid-sawn heavy timber decking roof

Richmond City Hall

Location: Richmond, B.C.
Architects:

DIALOG
KPMB Architects

Completion: 2000
Photo credit: Martin Tessler

Owner
City of Richmond

Structural Engineer
Bush, Bohlman & Partners

Structural systems
Post + beam

Project materials
Glue-laminated timber (Glulam)
Solid-sawn heavy timber

First major civic building featuring wood structure

Built in 2000, this precedent-setting design was one of the first major civic buildings in the province to prominently feature a wood and heavy-timber structure as its defining architectural statement. As the civic hub for the City of Richmond—the municipality immediately south of Vancouver, in the Fraser River delta—the building comprises a nine-storey office tower and a two-storey “meeting house” and is flanked by a landscaped plaza and gardens. The design embodies the city’s desire to reinforce its identity as a major urban centre, while reflecting the architectural character of the West Coast.

Douglas-fir glulam frames with heavy-timber decking

The base of the tower includes counters for all the departments commonly accessed by the public and a soaring galleria that extends out to greet visitors arriving from No. 3 Road. The galleria structure is a series of Douglas-fir glue-laminated timber portal frames with heavy-timber decking. Expansive north-facing glazing floods the double height space with glare-free natural light, enhancing the warm tones of the wood.

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