Vancouver Sun

It's hard not to love Robson Square, that landmark of modernist concrete with a waterfall created by Arthur Erickson in the heart of downtown Vancouver. But our political leaders are aiming to improve upon the master architect's work. Plans are now circulating inside the provincial cabinet to erect a giant wooden roof over the square. It's a secret project, being fast-tracked by Premier Gordon Campbell himself. Only a select few have yet seen it. But if the provincial cabinet greenlights it, as it likely will in the next few days or weeks, it's going to be a controversial addition to the city skyline. The artist's drawings I've seen bring to mind a giant wooden clamshell arching between the steps of the art gallery and Erickson's famous waterfall, covering Robson Street. Truth be told, it also seems a bit like a giant outdoor skating arena, with a roof but no walls, suddenly going up in the middle of the city. The skating rink, already on the site but underground and no longer used for skating, is to be refurbished. Looking up from its surface, people will see a complex sort of wooden latticework -- a design from northern Europe, I understand -- that you often see on large wooden buildings.