architecture The Binning House (left) The Smith Residence II (below) many modernist residences. Modernist architects flocked to the North Shore, inspired by the natural beauty of the area. They soon began building dynamic houses, not only for the wealthy citizens of the British Properties but also, eventually, for themselves. Three of the district's most famous modernist homes are the Binning House, the Porter House, and the Smith Residence II. The Binning House is one o f the earliest examples o f modernist architecture on the North Shore, having been built in 1941. A t the time, the Binning House was such a radical departure from traditional housing design that its construction garnered a substantial amount o f attention. B C Binning, a Canadian artist, collaborated on the building's design with local architects Berwick and Pratt. Binning was later to work with the two men and their partner Thompson on one o f the most highly acclaimed examples o f modernist design: the building that housed the head office of B C Hydro, now known as the Electra Building. Another important example of modernist design on the North Shore is the Porter residence. The home was built in 1948 by John Porter, a modernist architect and educator. The building is unique for the monocline roof that covers the main house and for the butterfly roof that hangs over the garage. W i l l i its windowed southern wall and fir and cedar building materials, the house is a good example of the evolving West Coast style. The sensitive landscaping is also typical of the naturalistic sensibilities intrinsic to modernist design. The house won a Massey Medal in 1952. Probably the most famous example of modernist design in Canada, the Smith Residence II. has just been added to the international register as a house of outstanding and universal value. Perched between two rock outcrops, the Smith Residence is constructed on seven levels with decks acting as bridges between each level o f the house. Simple local materials have been used, and the entire building has been constructed so that it blends into the local landscape. The structure is built around a small central courtyard with a reflecting pool. Designed by Erickson and Massey, the Smith Residence II is an example of late modernism (1966). The design won a Massey Medal in 1967 and a Canadian Housing Design Council Award, also in 1967. Modern architecture was even more widely used in public buildings. The West Vancouver City Hall, the Capilano Library. Ridgeview School, and the offices of the North Vancouver School District are only four examples of modernist buildings on the North Shore. Apartments, churches, and shopping centres (Park Royal, for instance) were also built along modernist lines. Love it or hate it, modernism is an integral part in our urban landscape. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the modernist movement has played an important role in defining the North Shore as we now know it.©: The New Spirit: Modern Architecture in Vancouver, 19381963 Please runs until January phone 662-4719 18 at the Vancouver for information. Art Gallery. The author Joel Lawson would like to thank Rhodri Windsor this Liscombe article. and for their help in researching