River Undulations.
The Old Main Addition adds 45,000-square-feet of academic teaching and office space atop an existing 1960s-era building on the campus of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, British Columbia. The campus overlooks the North and South Thompson Rivers and a range of softly rolling mountains beyond. The natural surroundings and First Nations heritage that inform TRU’s identity inspired the design of the Addition.
The undulating roof echoes the landscape while integrating two new floors with the mechanical penthouse of the original Old Main. The two lower, existing floors have been re-clad in curving bands that suggest First Nations craft traditions. The bands bow outwards to form two cedar-clad canopies that reinforce the wave pattern of the roofline. This knitting of the old and new radically transforms the previously non-descript building into a home for the first new Law School in Canada in 30 years and TRU’s MBA program.
At the centre of the Addition is a double-height atrium connecting two wings lined with teaching spaces on the south and the law library and offices on the north. Full-height glazing connects the atrium and adjacent reading room that share a dramatic view of the sweeping ceiling, complemented by a sculptural spiral stair.
“Light really brought it to life, and imbued it with feeling,” Chan said. “Standing out there, especially in the winter, with the moon above, it’s just magical.”
