“The Sceptre and the Sakura: The Rise of St. James’ Anglican Church in Vancouver’s Nihonmachi (‘Japantown’), 1936” with architect and historian Elisabeth Kwan
A ‘startling’ sight when built in 1936, St. James’ Anglican Church would later be considered “the best building in Vancouver” by Arthur Erickson, one of Canada’s most esteemed architects. Little is known about the Anglo-Canadian collective that shaped this bold example of early modernist architecture in the city, let alone how financing it was possible during the Depression. Even less obvious is how this building renewed the city’s Anglican ‘mother church’ amidst a thriving centre of Vancouver’s Japanese community. Drawing on archival research, architect and historian Elisabeth Kwan offers intriguing new perspectives about the transformation of this building’s identity from local church to city landmark.
