Erickson, Arthur Charles (1924-2009), a Canadian architect, became noted for buildings that dramatically harmonize with the landscape. Many of Erickson’s designs were built in or near Vancouver, B.C., and reflect the English, American Indian, and Japanese traditions of Western Canada.
In the 1960’s, Erickson designed Simon Fraser University on a mountaintop overlooking Vancouver. Erickson used simple geometric forms that recall Japanese design, but the colors and some of the shapes capture the feeling of the hills and mountain peaks of Western Canada. Erickson’s use of concrete, glass, and wood in the buildings further unites the structures with their natural surroundings.
In 1969, Erickson designed the main building of the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. It resembles a horizontal ribbon of concrete that blends with the flat natural surroundings. In the 1970’s, he designed Robson Square, a government center including law courts for downtown Vancouver. It includes waterfalls, landscaped hills, and parks. His Canadian Embassy (1989) in Washington, D.C., features a complex series of elemental shapes set within a giant open cage. Erickson was born on June 14, 1924, in Vancouver. He died on May 20, 2009.
