The Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre, designed by HCMA Architecture + Design, reimagines the conventional ice arena by moving away from the “dated model” that typically features cold, steel-framed, windowless spaces.

This recreational hub is situated in Burnaby’s growing Southgate neighbourhood, just outside Vancouver.

The 8,547-square-metre facility accommodates two National Hockey League-sized ice rinks along with a range of community amenities.

“The facility prioritises the public experience, offering a high-performance ice arena alongside a vibrant, accessible and inclusive community hub,” the team explained.

The centre is named after Rosemary Brown, a distinguished Canadian politician and advocate for social justice and equality.

“The recreation centre embodies her legacy, standing as a place for all Burnaby residents to gather, play and compete,” the architects said.

One of the project’s main goals was to move beyond “the dated model of freezing cold, windowless, steel-trussed ice arenas, dedicated solely to sport,” according to the design team.

The building features an angular silhouette and a faceted roof, with much of its exterior finished in standing-seam black metal panels.

With an L-shaped floor plan, the centre houses two ice rinks separated by a versatile central area described as a “lobby”.

Due to site constraints, the rinks are arranged in a non-traditional configuration. This layout not only accommodates the compact site but also promotes openness between different zones and creates an inviting, animated street presence, according to the studio.