Granville Island

Vancouver, Canada

Contributed by Project for Public Spaces

Salvaged from the husks of old factories and infused with a spirit all its own, the district offers up a wonderfully imaginative stew of markets, play areas, cultural activities, and stunning waterfronts.

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Why It Works

Granville Island would not likely win any design awards. In fact, the amount spent on architecture, landscape design, materials and construction seems to be the minimum necessary. Despite this, the island boasts a strong and appealing aesthetic and what amounts to a very bold and successful design concept. Minimalist and metal sided, each of the islands buildings is given an understated charm and an unmistakable identity through painted color, through allowing the internal use to flow out of the structures and through some of the best signage anywhere in world. The public spaces are tied together by painted piping seemingly left from the islands industrial roots, by the absence of curbs and by the pull of the islands many destinations strung together by amenity clad walkways.

Granville Island's lessons are that great places can be created almost anywhere under any conditions with minimal expense. Given its isolation Granville Island had to succeed not only as a series of great places, but as a great district. It has succeeded, not by focusing on a coherent master plan or a theme park like design integrity, but through maintaining its flexibility as it has grown institutions, business and places from within -- serving a broader and broader set of users. Certainly, its becoming a top draw for tourists in North America and also increasingly functions as a day-to-day community place for the burgeoning population of high-rise dwellers in downtown Vancouver. Whether you are a tourist or a local, Granville island offers something for you, and a new experience every time you go back.

History & Background

Originally shaped for industrial use in 1913, the buildings on Granville Island deteriorated until a planning process for the island's redevelopment was initiated 60 years later. Many vestiges of the past were retained, such as tin and stucco siding, industrial-style doorways, cranes, and rail tracks, and the result was an inviting public space with a plethora of uses and activities. Artistic uses include an art institute, a theater, galleries, and studios; for children there's a free waterpark, playground, and kids market with toys, clothing, and books; and in the way of food, Granville offers a superb a public market and a series of restaurants. Floating homes and boat rentals complete the picture. In short, one can pass the entire day here and leave some places unexplored.

Granville Island is owned by the Canadian government. Following a study commissioned by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Canadian government committed $25 million to the island's redevelopment, $11 million of which was used to buy out the remaining industrial leases. In 1976, the Granville Island Trust was appointed to direct the redevelopment. The planning and design objectives were to recycle the industrial and warehouse buildings by changing them into multi-use structures. The plan also focused on maintaining the industrial feel of the island while introducing a range of cultural, educational, commercial and some industrial uses. The main restriction on the project was that the island could not operate on a deficit when completed.

Contact Info:

Granville Island Information Centre: 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R8; 604-666-5784

User Comments:

> Add your own comment about Granville Island

05/24/04 Amy Tarce said:: My family lives in Vancouver, B.C. and I can attest that Granville Island is not just a tourist destination. My brother and his friends go there to play basketball, while my sister-in-law had a birthday party for her son at the picnic area. I've been there in all seasons and the place is always bustling. Parking can be a challenge at peak season so you may consider the water bus or the trolley instead.
10/09/04 Will Johnston said:: Exactly the right way to turn industrial space into a retail and residential destination which is inherently rewarding and appealing to visit even if no shopping gets done. Part of the appeal of the space is that the original factories and railway spurs and other industrial spaces constrained the development of the retail spaces and that forced the architects to be creative and led to a sense of authenticity - the opposite of a Disneyland feeling.
11/25/04 Terry Lavender said:: As a long-time Vancouver resident, I find the choice of Granville Island somewhat surprising. Yes, it can be a great place to hang out, but it has one major problem: automobile traffic. Granville Island, especially on sunny summer weekend days, is just a giant parking lot, with thousands of idling cars slowly moving about in search of a parking place. The stress this causes both to pedestrians and to the environment is enormous. Make Granville Island car-free and I'd agree with your assessment.
11/26/04 Neil K said:: I've lived a few blocks away from Granville Island since 2000. I've never thought of it as a neighbourhood. It's more like an all-purpose destination -- incomparably more diverse than a mall, but not quite as vital as a real neighbourhood. After 6:00pm, everything shutters except for a couple of bars and the playhouses. Although, in the daytime, the place is indeed a gem.
11/28/04 Deserie Hanson said:: I have to echo Terry L.'s comment about cars being a major detractor to the appeal of Granville Island. I live less than ten blocks from there and it was a major factor in choosing our apartment when we moved back to Vancouver after four years away. I'm well within a comfortable walking distance to go there, but dodging the cars is stressful (although the recent addition of traffic lights at the entrance is helpful) and Translink cancelled the bus service that used to run between the main market building and Granville and Broadway. It's a quite steep hill to hike back up with your load of veggies and other goodies. If the bus service came back, I'd shop at Granville Island twice a week. As it is, I think it's been about six months since I've been there.
01/03/05 Mary Ungerleider said:: I disagree with the statement that Granville Island isn't a neighbourhood. I live a 5 minute walk from the public market and spend several hours on Granville Island each week - in the community centre, the market, at Emily Carr College of Art (did you know you can go in and read publications in the library there even if you're not a student?), in the galleries, theatres and restaurants, and taking strolls, both daytime and evening. It's my neighbourhood and other than the cars (I heartily agree that cars should be banned and a tram created for those with mobility difficulties) there are very few things about it I don't love.
11/11/05 Tim Dawson said:: Even spending just 4 months in Vancouver, Granville Island quickly became one of my favourite parts of the city. Yes, at first it was just another tourist attraction for me, but as my visits became more frequent I found more of what it has to offer.
12/14/05 David Plouffe said:: I would say Granville Island is an integral part of the local community/neibourhood. I have lived and worked in the area for over 7 years. The island is my second home. I buy food, participate in recreational activities at the community centre, people watch and much more. I would disagree with the comment that the place is dead after 6 pm - just go inside the buildings - theses places are bustling with activity.
03/01/06 bill wiselogle said:: I saw a presentation of Granville Island by one of the architects involved in the re-use plan probably over 20 years ago (the name escapes me). One intriguing aspect he described was the goal to retain not only the industrial feel of the place, but also some of the industrial uses, subsidizing them with the proceeds from the new commercial development. I beleive there was still a concrete plant on the island when I visited shortly after. It's been a while since I've been back, but I wonder if any of those industrial uses have survived - or if that was a viable plan in the first place.
04/28/06 Shane Strachan said:: The Ocean's cement plant is still there - and people like it. I believe there are plans to close it, and people want some of the old cranes and machinery kept there.
I really love Granville Island, but it is neat to see it through a third party's eyes. It makes me appreciate it even more.