As we Vancouverites head into the Olympics next week, some of you are really getting into the spirit inside and outside your homes and workplaces. The city is being visually slaughtered by Olympic advertising, temporary venues, mascots, country flags, and each of us react in our own way. Some of us embrace it, some of us are miffed by the expence while the cities real problems remain, some of us are happy to see some design focused ideas come to reality.

The 2010 Olympics have brought forth a huge influx in construction, so much so that the activity housing slump and poor economy was outside the protection of the Olympic bubble. One such fantastic venue is the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Developer Ian Gillespie inside the lobby of pre-opened Fairmont Pacific Rim, Image credit: Darryl Dyck for the Globe & Mail

Poetry wraps facade of the hotel. Image credit: Vancouver Sun

It’s not all peaches and roses, take the Canada Pavilion at Georgia and Beatty Streets for example. It’s an ugly white tent. It’s ugly, opening late, and apparently “looks great“, so says Heritage Minister James Moore [Globe & Mail]. Oh, by the way, did I mention it cost $10M of taxpayer money, build by non-Canadian Chicago-based company, and it’s ugly? I wonder if Mayor Greggor will keep it open as a temporary shelter…

Image credit: Ric Ernst PNG for Global BC

“Something happened. It’s embarrassing,” says Bing Thom, ”This is a world event. As Canadians, we all want to put on a good show, and architecture can help. But from the outside, this pavilion is completely uninspiring.” [Globe & Mail]

“This is a missed opportunity for Canada to demonstrate to the world what the country represents,” says Vancouver architect Wayne De Angelis, Regional director of Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. “If we are going to be represented by just a white box that looks like something you can buy online, that’s fine, but other pavilions are doing much more than that. It’s sad.” [Globe & Mail]

 How did this happen? How did such an ugly thing and a beautiful thing get built?

Canada Pavilion Construction Update (via archiCentral) for Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China is going to cost a cool $45mil.

The design for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2010 is now finalized.  The design approach, which has an open air public space as its center piece, was first unveiled in January 2008.  Over the past year, the design, created by Cirque du Soleil, has evolved through adjustments and refinements.

Living walls or not, the $45mil for a temporary structure can absolutely be put to better use with the severely underfunded social and arts programs that have been cut over the years. Who approved this? The Cirque du Soleil is very successful but our essential arts and social programs could use the funds. Although they will be showcasing Canadian talent I know that I will never, and undoubtably those within my six degrees of separation, in my lifetime see $45 million dollars worth of programming and funds for me to survive as an artist or designer.

www.expo2010canada.gc.ca