CBC/Radio Canada Broadcast Centre Redevelopment

Vancouver B.C. ● Commercial

The CBC/Radio Canada Broadcast Centre site incorporates the main broadcast centre, community access spaces, a plaza and promenade for public entertainment, as well as independently owned and constructed residential and retail components.

The overriding challenge was to proceed with minimal disruption to CBC operations, with some construction windows only one hour long. This was further complicated by the fact that the new 21,000 square foot HD newsroom was to be located right above the existing studios. The solution was to engineer a substructure within the confines of the existing space that could be added without disturbing the ongoing broadcasts.

There were also difficulties in meeting the current seismic code, due to the single elevator core that provided lateral resistance. Several large, round cantilevered concrete columns became frames to vertically support the new roof as well as provide the required lateral seismic resistance.

A series of concrete roof top planters were requested in order to provide green space when viewed from above. This would usually be too costly to engineer on top of a steel building, so the result is a tribute to great teamwork and collaborative efforts with the architect.

This 260,000 square foot facility was completed in the fall of 2009.

Images: © Bob Matheson