New Westminster, B.C. – təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre has been awarded a Prix Versailles 2024 World Title Special Prize for an Interior in the Sports category. Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that each year recognize “the finest contemporary projects worldwide.” Winners were announced at a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on December 2.

təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is only the third Canadian project to be recognized since the prize was established in 2017. It was one of six international projects shortlisted in the Sports category, including the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Paris, the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing and the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The CDN $114 million, 10,684 sq m / 114,571 sq ft combined aquatic and community centre opened in May 2024. Designed by hcma architecture + design, təməsew̓txʷ is the City of New Westminster’s largest capital project to date. The facility, whose name is derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, meaning “Sea Otter House”, was also recognized with a World Architecture Festival award for Civic Facilities (Future Projects) in 2021.

“The City of New Westminster is thrilled and deeply honoured that təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Center has been awarded the Prix Versailles Special Prize for an Interior award. As the first sports venue in Canada and the first community recreation centre in the world to receive a Prix Versailles, this recognition is an incredible achievement and testament to the facility’s design,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone. “On behalf of the City of New Westminster, I would like to extend appreciation to the Prix Versailles jury for this tremendous honour and thank the talented team at hcma architecture + design for bringing their outstanding work to New Westminster. Their visionary design and skilled execution has set a new standard for great community spaces worldwide.”

“We would like to recognize the City of New Westminster for leading the way and setting a bold, ambitious agenda for this project. This building creates a new picture of civic life – proud, inspiring and most importantly, one in which everyone in this community can find their place,” said Paul Fast, Principal, hcma architecture + design. “It is a building that works with the land, not against it, and acknowledges the role that design can play in the work of reconciliation. Architecture that is founded on these principles achieves a beauty that is not just skin deep, but lasting, just and equitable. We are grateful for the support of the project manager, the entire design team and the contractor in bringing this vision to life.”

təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre facts:

  • təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is Canada’s first completed all-electric facility to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) Zero Carbon Building-Design Standard
  • The facility has achieved a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certified Gold rating under the RHF Accessibility Certification™ program. The Centre’s 84% score affirms the principles of inclusive design and meaningful accessibility that were core aspects of the facility’s planning and detailing.
  • Extensive public and stakeholder group engagement occurred over two years and involved over 3,000 people, including urban Indigenous, Host Nations and multicultural groups, and an accessibility committee. Community input steered many of the programmatic decisions that guided the design of the facility.

The City of New Westminster invites the community to celebrate this significant achievement at a free event on Sunday, December 15, 2024, from 12:30 to 8:30 pm. Enjoy refreshments and drop-in swimming, fitness, and sports at təməsew̓txʷ. Please visit newwestcity.ca for more information.

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Media Contact:

Ashleigh Young
Manager of Communication
City of New Westminster
ayoung@newwestcity.ca | 604-527-4559

Laura Potter
Marketing Director
hcma architecture + design
l.potter@hcma.ca | 788-838-9819

 

About City of New Westminster

Located along the Lower Fraser River, on the homelands of the Halkomelem speaking people, New Westminster is at the center of Canada’s bustling Greater Vancouver region. The city has long been a crossroads of people, pathways, and ideas, where innovation and culture are interwoven and celebrated, making New Westminster a great place to live, work, and visit. The 2022-2026 City Council are committed to providing the city’s nearly 90,000 residents with sustainable urban services, an emerging people-centered economy, and inclusive, environmentally-friendly public spaces that support community belonging and connectivity.

About  hcma architecture + design

hcma architecture + design designs buildings, brands, and shared experiences that connect people. Because with collective strength, communities can work together to make a difference to the issues that matter. Collective strength empowers our practice too. Driven by relentless curiosity, we work as one to solve complex problems from every angle. B Corp certified, we advocate for inclusive, accessible design that embraces everyone, promotes biodiversity, and minimizes environmental impact. We’re multi-skilled but driven by a shared purpose: to maximize positive impact. We achieve it by learning from others. By challenging ourselves. And by applying relentless curiosity to create the lasting change we all want to see in the world. hcma.ca