PROJECT
exteriors The multi-award-winning Audain Art Museum is quintessentially Canadian, from the eclectic art housed inside to the unassuming building itself.
The Art of Moisture Protection A self-adhering air and water barrier protects Canadian art collection from the elements.
T
he multi-award-winning Audain Art Museum is
Up close, one can see the museum sits on six concrete
The Audain Art Museum is designed to protect its
quintessentially Canadian, from the eclectic art
piers. This was done to accommodate flood-plain condi-
contents through the harsh winters of the Canadian
housed inside to the unassuming yet masterfully
tions from a nearby creek. The result is a structure that
Rockies, and the architects chose Delta-Vent SA, a
planned and executed hockey-stick-shaped building itself.
appears to be floating amongst the trees while sitting a full
vapor-permeable, self-adhering air- and water-resistive bar-
Yet, despite all the beauty on display for visitors, unseen
story above grade. Patkau Architects (patkau.ca), the Van-
rier, from DĂśrken Systems Inc., Beamsville, Ontario
elements make this building notable as well.
couver-based architectural firm that designed the build-
(dorken.com), to provide protection.
The 56,000-sq.-ft. private museum (audainartmuse-
ing, was tasked with creating a high-performance building
The air tightness provided by a fully adhered mem-
um.com) sits nestled amidst the alpine forest of Whistler,
that would preserve the precious art inside it while blend-
brane helps lower energy costs. The adhesion capability
British Columbia. The exterior is clad in dark metal, al-
ing into the natural vegetation around it.
of the membrane helped speed up the building process by
lowing it to blend with the shadows of the surrounding
allowing workers to construct the roof panels ahead of
forest as well as handle the high snow loads typical of the
WRAPPED UP TIGHT
time in a modular format in a factory setting. This meant
area. As noted by the Architectural Institute of British Co-
While the envelope may appear simple, it was very chal-
the membrane could be installed in a controlled environ-
lumbia (AIBC, aibc.ca), the deliberately restrained form
lenging to build, having numerous angles and sloping
ment rather than an unpredictable one, and the panels
and character of the building provide a quiet, minimalis-
walls—with some at a 50-deg. slant. The metal cladding
could be transported to the site without the membrane
tic backdrop to the art within and the surrounding natu-
also posed a challenge because of the ribbed pattern on
blowing off.
ral landscape.
the building’s exterior.
24
COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE
MARCH 2018
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com
The high vapor permeability of Delta-Vent SA allows
