Vancouver Museum and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

The heritage value of the Vancouver Museum and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre lies in its historical, social and aesthetic significance, particularly as a prime example of the emergence, in the 1960s, of regionally important arts and cultural institutions in Vancouver.

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre name honours one of British Columbia's pioneer lumbermen. The building reflects the philanthropic spirit of the time, when resource extraction industries were enjoying post-war expansion, prompting their founders to sponsor aspects of Vancouver's cultural development. A generous gift by the late H.R. MacMillan allowed the architect to incorporate a Planetarium into the design of the Vancouver Museum.

The Planetarium component of the building is a noteworthy example of iconic expressive Modernist design, that is, form conveying the spirit of the function within. The design exhibits the probable influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and reflects an optimism and interest in space exploration during the 1960s. The building also expresses Modernist design through its contrasting curvilinear and boxy forms which juxtapose planetarium functions with distinct museum exhibit blocks. Typical of Modernist design, the pre-cast concrete panel cladding and the innovative large-scale stainless steel crab sculpture designed by George Norris marry aesthetic and technological preoccupations.

The site of the Museum and Planetarium complex reflects the history the Kitsilano neighbourhood's evolving tenure. Originally, the area was the location of a First Nations village, which later became Reserve land. During the Second World War, the property was used as an Air Force equipment depot. The grounds subsequently changed to the city-owned Vanier Park and home to a clutch of civic buildings, including the Planetarium/Observatory and Museum, City Archives, and the Vancouver School of Music, as well as temporary structures which house seasonal cultural events.

Vanier Park and its array of institutional buildings exemplify the essentially suburban planning of much of Vancouver, as well as the pervasive use of the automobile for accessing civic events. This suburban genre is reflected in the building's neighbourhood setting accompanied by an extensive parking area that are independent of the geometry of the city street grid.

The landscaping is also typical of suburban institutional and residential work of the period. Its free-form planting beds, choice of plant specimens, and relationship of those plantings with building entrances and windows, all represent landscape aesthetics of the 1960s. This landscape design is strikingly different from the xeriscape planting associated with recent alterations and additions on the north side of the site.