Old Winnipeg Airport Terminal a Modernist Gem

It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase "as pretty as an airport" appear -- Douglas Adams

- Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, might have felt differently about airports had he seen the new Richardson International Airport terminal that on Sunday welcomed its first visitors.

The new airport stands as an impressive welcome mat for our city, a symbol of modernity and progress. Its dramatic curving glass walls anchor the building to the prairie horizon and celebrate in a single sweeping view the light and landscape that define our province. It has space, colour and light in proportions that stimulate the visitor and inspire a feeling of pride.

That last sentence, although an appropriate description of the new building, was actually written in the Winnipeg Tribune in 1964 for the opening of the terminal it is replacing. The completion of the new airport has focused public attention on the fate of its familiar old neighbour, celebrated as one of the finest pieces of Modernist architecture in Canada.

The debate over the demolition of the old terminal highlights a broader question: Why should cities attempt to preserve elements of their built history?

Advocates of historic preservation are often criticized for being motivated by nostalgia while standing in the way of progress and growth. This can sometimes be the case, but successful cities are often able to capitalize on their architectural heritage as a way of attracting growth while enriching the character and livability of their urban environment.

Cities are like storybooks. The most compelling ones are those that weave together layers of complex narrative. We travel to places like Montreal and New York and are inspired by the rich texture of their streetscapes. The buildings narrate the stories of those cities, making them more interesting to visit, more comfortable to live in and more attractive to invest in.

The most interesting cities are those that maintain a rich mixture of buildings that represent different periods in history, knit together in an urban tapestry. It isn't loudly celebrated, but Winnipeg is lucky enough to be one of these cities. Our distinct collection of buildings uniquely illustrates the lineage of modern Canadian design throughout the last century.

Winnipeg's diverse assemblage of building styles has even piqued the interest of John Martins-Manteiga, director of the Toronto museum Dominion Modern, billed as "Canada's foremost archive of 20th-century Canadian architecture and design."
Dominion Modern is an institution that promotes and celebrates design through high-quality publications and sensational, almost theatrical exhibitions that inspire public dialogue and education.

Martins-Manteiga describes Winnipeg as a "tremendous city" with a "jaw-dropping inventory of 19th- and 20th-century architecture." He sees great potential to capitalize on this asset and celebrate the city's diverse architectural heritage on a national stage.

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