Reading the Future

Last December’s inauguration of Surrey’s Mayor and Council marked a significant step towards the transformation of Metro Vancouver’s sprawling suburb into what is anticipated to be the province’s next cosmopolitan centre. The ceremony, traditionally performed in Council Chambers, was instead set against the panoramic view of nearly $100 million in construction activity committed to creating a burgeoning civic precinct and catalyst for future growth and investment in the city. From the vantage of the grand cascading stair in the atrium of the new Surrey City Centre Library, over 300 in attendance were witness to the impact of architecture on the evolving identity of the city...