Exhibition offers a glimpse of architect Arthur Erickson’s home

Iconic Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson would have turned 100 years old this June 14. To celebrate the centenary, the West Vancouver Art Museum has an exhibition that features a re-creation of his living room and many of the original artworks, cherished pieces and books he had on display in the home where he spent much of his life, at 4195 West 14th Ave., on a 66-foot-wide lot in Point Grey.

A key part of the exhibition is architecture photographer Selwyn Pullan’s large-scale photos taken in 1965 and 1972, large enough to show the dings in the furniture and tatty wallpaper. It’s a rare peek behind the curtains at the man, not the iconic architect, says Hilary Letwin, the museum’s director. He did not live in a house like the photo-ready ones he designed; instead, he lived in a converted garage and shed – basically, an early laneway house on a lot that was all about the garden. It is a mini Versailles within a gridded street network.