Vancouver Art Gallery Expansion

So per a comment by this guy here asking about the comparison between the VAG and the TAR, I decided it would be worthwhile to do a post about the VAG and the direction it is headed. One of the cool projects that has been proposed is the construction of a dual concert hall beneath the VAG. Initiated by the Vancouver Concert Hall and Theatre Society, the aim would be to create a space for performances by the VSO, as well as offer live performance spaces and room to book festivals/celebrations. An article on the proposal has been put out by World Architecture News and can be found here. The part I appreciate above and beyond the concept is the dedication to factual based evidence as seen in the section of the editorial that reads:

"One early commenter is Anthony F. Ingram, who posted his thoughts on the Facebook wall: 'While I think this idea is laudable, the 450 seat theatre space, in my opinion, will be of little use to the numerous small theatre companies that are crying out for spaces in which to present their work. What we really need are 150 to 200 seat spaces. We can't afford a 450 space.'"
"The group’s administrators responded swiftly to this post, thanking Anthony for his comment and directing him to a full report by Vancouver’s City Council which suggests that there is a gaping hole in the market for a venue of this size. This 160-page document (compiled in 2008) recognises that: 'the majority (87%) of Vancouver’s small-scale, live presentation spaces are delivered through multi-functional facilities that accommodate performance-based activity as a secondary/ancillary function.'”

This sort of accountability to the hopes and fears of the citizen is a step in the right direction in my opinion. It is beneficial to take the time to inform the citizen of why their concerns may be misguided and why something that may seem strange, costly or impossible might actually be beneficial on second glance. This whole post reminds me greatly of the issues we are currently having in B.C. with the HST. I think I will do my next post on that.