Remembering Arthur Müdry, 1932-2024
VANCOUVER: We are saddened to share news of the passing of architect Arthur Müdry, who died on June 25th at the age of 92. Arthur was amongst a cohort of early West Coast Modernists whose creative voice contributed uniquely to the experimental culture of our regional mid-century modern ethos. His body of work, characterised by a deep respect for the natural world, which he considered sacrosanct, was set apart by an early interest in aeronautical engineering that undoubtedly influenced his aptitude for geometric and structural exploration. Our built environment is better off for his contributions and will continue to serve as inspiration to future generations. The West Coast Modern League offers our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and those who mourn in recognition of his unique and extraordinary legacy of West Coast Modern architecture.
Arthur Müdry spent his early years in Field, British Columbia, where his Ukrainian immigrant parents worked on the railways and instilled in their children the importance and value of education. When Arthur was of school age, he relocated to Calgary to live with his grandmother and attend grade school. Following high school graduation, he joined the University of Manitoba’s School of Architecture where he spent five years before moving to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to complete a three-year post-graduate degree. Thereafter, a former Dean invited Arthur to return to Manitoba where he would teach for several years, often taking his students on pilgrimages to Chicago to experience first-hand the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Arthur would eventually move to Vancouver and get married to who would become his life-long partner Hazel. Together they raised three children in West Vancouver and continued to live in the community for the remainder of their lives. They resided in a home that was built in the same year that Arthur was born, working on the house, removing all the doors (because Arthur did not like doors), knocking down walls, and playing with the roofline. Their home was filled with their passions – artwork from Haida Gwaii, family photos, an extensive library of design and architecture books, and Arthur’s studio.
Arthur Müdry was a tireless architect, spending many late nights in his studio. In a 2017 interview with League Board member Wendi Campbell, Arthur stated that “you must love architecture and design because it is an all-consuming profession.” Later that year, at the League’s ‘Masters of West Coast Modernism’ event, celebrating their professional accomplishments, Arthur and fellow architect Blair Macdonald reunited for the first time in 40 years, where we learned that their last interaction had been the day they both quit a development company they had together been employed. Arthur spent much of his career sustaining his own architectural practice, sharing studio space for a time with Fred and Russell Hollingsworth in West Vancouver’s Woyat-Bowie Building. Most recognized for his residential designs, Arthur considered it a great privilege to work alongside families in the creation of their homes. Most notably were his designs for the 1965 Beaton House and 1989 Chun House, both in West Vancouver and featured in the annual West Coast Modern Home Tour. Equally impressive was the 1964 St. Stephen’s United Church in Vancouver, and the hyperbolic paraboloid forms of the 1967 West Vancouver Baptist Church.
Beyond architecture, Arthur was an avid runner and a contributor to the community, actively involved in the Society Protecting Environmental Conservation, the North Shore Association for the Mentally Handicapped, Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network, and the West Vancouver Nomad’s running group. Arthur will be greatly missed.
Arthur J. Müdry
May 8, 1932 – June 25, 2024
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