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Private: PeopleArchitectWolfgang Gerson

Wolfgang Gerson

Category : Architect
  • Years 1916-1991
  • Architect, FRAIC

Wolfgang Gerson was a European-trained architect and educator, whose life experiences and pursuits would take him from Europe to North America, living and working in various locales across Canada, including Vancouver, and contributing to what was then a burgeoning culture of modernism on the west coast. In British Columbia, Gerson is most recognized for his designs of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver (1963-64), as well as the Itzinger-Meuldyk House (1972) and Gerson House (1958), both in West Vancouver. Further east, he is known for his work on St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church (1946-47) in Montréal, as well as, the Gerson House (1950) and the Triangle Gardens Housing Project (1957) in Winnipeg.

Wolfgang Gerson was raised in Hamburg, Germany, born March 18, 1916. He relocated to England to obtain his architectural education first at the West of England Academy’s School of Architecture, graduating in 1935, followed by studies at the modernist-leaning Architectural Association in London, from 1936-1939. He would spend some time working in London prior to his eventual emigration to Canada in the early 1940s, precipitated by the Second World War.[1][2]

Gerson was amongst a cohort of our most celebrated architects and designers who escaped Nazism, civilian pogroms, and internment camps in Farnham and Sherbrooke, Quebec, that had been set up to hold refugees and internees during the war. Following his release, and prior to his migration further west, Gerson would take up positions in Montréal working with H.E. Greenspoon and James Cecil McDougall.[1]  It was also here that he would meet architect Frederic Lasserre while working together on St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, a connection that would bear fruit a decade later in Vancouver.[3]

In 1947, Gerson accepted the call to teach at the University of Manitoba, moving to Winnipeg and embarking on what would become a distinguished career in architectural education. During this period, he also continued his work in practice, designing Triangle Gardens (1957) and, prior to, a home for his own family, in 1950, a single-storey residence in a riverside community underpinned by the sensibilities of European-modernism. With an love for art and music carried throughout his youth, he would also serve as Vice-President of the Winnipeg Chamber Music Club (1949-50).

It was during this period that Canada’s west coast was positioning itself as a center for modern architecture, and West Coast Modernism was taking root as a unique regional expression. At the academic center of this movement was the University of British Columbia with a relatively new architecture program, first established in 1946 as the Department of Architecture within the Faculty of Applied Science, and then reorganized into a School of Architecture in 1950 by none of than Frederic Lasserre. Driven to attract young, energetic modernists to the school, Lasserre offered a position to Wolfgang Gerson to lecture on the subject of housing and architectural design.[3] In 1956, Gerson accepted and relocated to the coast, with his wife Hilde and four children, to pursue both education and practice.

In Vancouver, Wolfgang Gerson quickly became an influential figure in the modernist movement. He would continuing teaching at the UBC until 1981. In practice, one of his most recognizable projects is the house he designed for his own family on the steep slopes of West Vancouver. Overlooking the surrounding hillside and English Bay beyond, the Gerson House is a series of barrel-vaulted forms that gradually step down the steep terrain. The main living spaces were positioned on the higher floors to take advantage of the expansive views, while the children’s bedrooms were placed on the lower floors, closer to the natural “play garden.” Gerson is once quoted as saying, “in the beginning a house is a safe and private place to bring up the children, to give them the attention they need while allowing for one’s own interests, to allow for the correct balance of freedom and security, of instruction and self-help.”[2] The Gerson House, still standing today, would go on to be widely published and celebrated for its unique integration into the natural landscape and responsiveness to the modern needs of family living.

 

Sources

  1. Wolfgang Gerson. Winnipeg Architecture Foundation.
  2. Modes of Modernizing: The Acquisition of Modernist Design in Canada. Rhodri Windsor Liscombe. Bulletin, Vol. 19, Issue 3, 1994. Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada.
  3. New Ways of Living. January 2016. The Jewish Museum & Archives of BC.
  4. West Vancouver Survey of Significant Architecture 1945-1975. F.G. Architecture & Planning Consultants, 1994.
  5. West Vancouver Community Heritage Register.
  6. Wolfgang Gerson. Artists in Canada. Government of Canada.
  7. Unitarian Church of Vancouver. December 15, 1993. Canada’s Historic Places.

 

Featured Projects

Gerson House, 1958

Gerson House, 1958

Category : Wolfgang Gerson
Itzinger-Meuldyk House, 1967

Itzinger-Meuldyk House, 1967

Category : Wexler Architecture, Wolfgang Gerson

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In its current state, the Challier House admittedl In its current state, the Challier House admittedly presents many challenges. With a considerable investment, it has potential. Back in its day, the design exuded modern elegance and a gentle insertion into its cliffside setting. It has a natural sophistication in its bones.

Of the design, “the steep and rocky site presented a challenge to architect Jim Tettamanti. The easiest part was the front thirty feet. Behind this was a dome of rock. Tettamanti came up with an open-V floor plan that angled to the view, and placed the entrance and bedroom wing parallel to the road on a shallow stone foundation. The other arm of the V extended over the hill and provided a recreation room on the lower level opening to the extensive concrete deck and swimming pool. From the road the low-level, flat-roof house presents a modest profile with few windows. On the view side, however, the V-shaped plan exposes the spacious indoor and outdoor living areas to one of the finest setting in the Lower Mainland.”[1]
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Challier House, 1961
West Vancouver, BC
Designed by James R. Tettamanti
Landscape by Raoul Robillard

MLS #R2813421

[1/Images] Western Homes & Living. May 1964.

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League's ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings + projects
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#westcoastmodern #modernhouse #midcenturymodern #midcenturymoderndesign #cliffhouse #poolwithaview #modern #architecture #modernarchitecture #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #iconichouses #heritagehouse #modernheritage #fixerupper #architecturelovers #archilovers #artarchitecture #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #herbertchallier #jamestettamanti #raoulrobillard #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
Behind every modern house is a story more interest Behind every modern house is a story more interesting than any fiction could tell, and while this house has certainly seen better days, its history is storied. Known as the Challier House, it was originally built in 1961 and, while Challier was himself an architect, the home was designed by James R. Tettamanti with landscape by Raoul Robillard. 

Herbert Challier was a graduate of UBC architecture and would go on to work for McCarter Nairne before establishing his own private practice based first in Yaletown and eventually out of this home. Over his career, Challier had a history of working on theatre designs and is credited for designing Grouse Mountain's "Theatre in the Sky." He was also a varsity rower and a skier on the Whistler Ski Patrol. 

This was not Herb Challier's first home on the North Shore. The Challier family originally lived in a forested subdivision, leaving for this oceanview home when suburbia engulfed the surrounding forest. Their 1951 home was one of the original Neoteric houses, designed by none other than Fred Hollingsworth.

Challier House is currently on the market and, with an enthusiastic owner and a healthy budget, it could go on to be a stunning home for future generations. 
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Challier House, 1961
West Vancouver, BC
Designed by James R. Tettamanti
Landscape by Raoul Robillard

MLS #R2813421

[Images 2-4] Courtesy of Sam McColl

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League's ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings + projects
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#westcoastmodern #modernhouse #midcenturymodern #midcenturymoderndesign #cliffhouse #poolwithaview #modern #architecture #modernarchitecture #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #iconichouses #heritagehouse #modernheritage #fixerupper #architecturelovers #archilovers #artarchitecture #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #herbertchallier #jamestettamanti #raoulrobillard #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
"Located at the centre of the Fraser Valley, the a "Located at the centre of the Fraser Valley, the agricultural hub of southwestern BC, the college features the School of Horticulture, as well as many vocational, academic, career and special education programs. The campus seeks to establish a relationship between its role as a place of learning and community interaction and its rural setting. The heart of campus is the central agora, a gathering space focused on the historic Wark/Dumais House and orchard and the wetlands of Logan Creek. Radiating outward are the college buildings, teaching gardens (including an insect garden!), parking and the school's greenhouses."[1]
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 1993
Langley, BC
Designed by Barry Downs with
Ron Beaton & Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault & Partners)
Landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander

[1] Barry Downs: Melding Architecture with Landscape (2013). West Vancouver Art Museum.

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League’s ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings and projects
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#modernarchitecture #modernism #modern #architecture #modernlandscape #campusarchitecture #universitycampus #vancouvermodern #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #landscapearchitecture #modernbuilding #design #iconicbuildings #kwantlenpolytechnicuniversity #kwantlencollege #architecturelovers #archilovers #barrydowns #barrydownsarchitect #corneliahahnoberlander #downsarchambault #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
Aside from being places of learning, campuses them Aside from being places of learning, campuses themselves have an intimate impact on the psyche of their students and educational outcomes. As campuses return to being busy hives of activity, we turn our attention to a few campuses, beginning with Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Langley Campus. Coompleted in 1993, KPU Langley was designed by Barry Downs, with Ron Beaton and Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault and Partners) with landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander. As the home of the university’s School of Horticulture, the architecture was designed to integrate with its pastoral setting. “Architecturally, the complex, although collegiate in character and constructed with tan brick, exposed concrete columns and grey metal sheathing, is intended to recall the muted colours of indigenous plantings, the wetland’s clay soil and the old industrial and farm structures of the valley. Varied tree species and the plantings of wildflowers and native grasses both address the college’s active horticultural program and, at the same time, weave the most structured ground areas–next to campus buildings–with the lush natural environment of Logan Creek.”[1] 
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 1993
Langley, BC
Designed by Barry Downs with
Ron Beaton & Glenn Burwell (Downs/Archambault & Partners)
Landscape by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander

[1] Barry Downs: Melding Architecture with Landscape (2013). West Vancouver Art Museum. 

Link in bio for MODERN WEST COAST PLACES, the League’s ongoing survey of modern west coast buildings and projects
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#modernarchitecture #modernism #modern #architecture #modernlandscape #campusarchitecture #universitycampus #vancouvermodern #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #landscapearchitecture #modernbuilding #design #iconicbuildings #kwantlenpolytechnicuniversity #kwantlencollege #architecturelovers #archilovers #barrydowns #barrydownsarchitect #corneliahahnoberlander #downsarchambault #modernwestcoastplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
Originally founded in 2013, this 2023-24 season ma Originally founded in 2013, this 2023-24 season marks our 10th, and we're excited to share with you our upcoming lineup of events, programs, and initiatives. Thank you for your continued support and, if you haven't already, please join our community! 

Follow us here and subscribe to our mailing list for our latest projects and announcements (link in bio). 
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The West Coast Modern League (WCML/The League) is a leading voice for modern architecture + design on Canada's west coast. We are an independent, non-profit society that celebrates, and advances the understanding and appreciation of, architecture, urbanism, and design of the North American west coast, with a special focus on the southern coastal regions of British Columbia. We are driven by the vanguard of the West Coast Modern movement, inspired by its distinctive culture, and energized by the future of modern design across our region.
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #westcoastmodernarchitecture #westcoastmodernliving #westcoastdesign #architecture #modern #modernarchitecture #modernlandscape #landscapearchitecture #midcenturymodern #midcenturymoderndesign #alliedarts #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #architecturelovers #archilovers #canadianarchitecture #canadamodern #pnwarchitecture #pacificnorthwest #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan
MODERNISM ELSEWHERE | Even under a thick cloak of MODERNISM ELSEWHERE | Even under a thick cloak of dreadful wildfire smoke, the Heating & Cooling Plant at the University of Regina stands as a ray of light. Designed by prairie architect Clifford Weins, the building was constructed to house the central heating and cooling infrastructure for the university campus. Trevor Boddy exclaims that "[Clifford] understood the prairie landscape and how important the skies are and the horizon and constantly worked with those."

Graham Livesey described the building as “most indicative of his architecture in that it is seemingly straightforward, yet intricate in execution; its bold shape is reminiscent of both iconic Indigenous and agricultural forms.”
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Heating & Cooling Plant
University of Regina
Regina, SK
Designed by Clifford Weins
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#modernismelsewhere #universityofregina #cliffordwiens #canadianarchitect #canadianarchitect #modernarchitecture #midcenturymodern #modern #architecture #architectureheritage #iconicbuildings #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #modernheritage #saskatchwan #modernplaces #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlvan

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