Clifford Wiens

Clifford Donald Wiens (27 April 1926 – 25 January 2020) was a Canadian writer, poet, designer and architect. Clifford Wiens played a crucial role in the development of corporate modern architecture and the broader Expressionist Movement in postwar Mid-West Canada. This poetry was best shown in his work on the University of Regina Heating and Cooling Building.

Clifford Wiens has held a few design philosophies throughout his career as an architect and designer. Aside from communication between all parties, the belief he most prioritized was that architecture is all about pleasing the user's eye, mind, and body. Another belief that he held firm was that an architect must design a project that works, firmly believing that flashy buildings that fail to satisfy both the client and the user are failures. His artwork would commonly depict the surrounding landscape of whatever region he was living within and the farm on which he was raised on. This coincided with Regina experiencing a boom in both the agriculture and extractive industries that Wiens wanted to work within. He would start his own firm called Clifford Wiens Architect Ltd. These projects were among the main reasons that the firm was so successful. Clifford Wiens Architects Ltd. was published as an exemplar of the remarkable flowering of Canadian Architecture in the wake of Expo 67 because of these projects. Wiens and Associates Ltd. would be a temporary name however, as in 1979 Wiens would partner with architect Ross Johnstone and rename the firm Wiens Johnstone Architects Ltd.

Wiens would continue to practice architecture after the annulment, but it was under Clifford Wiens Architect Ltd. until his retirement in 1994. In the roof space of his studio on Albert Street in Regina, was a 1/4 inch plate of steel, shaped as a concave arch hanging from a frame of steel pipes was one example of this as its structure was innovative for its time, and the work behind the scenes between all interested parties was immense.

Beliefs Wiens believed in a few simple principles. He has stated that the basic tenets of good design and construction have no changed much over time: that architecture is all about pleasing the eye, mind, and body. He strongly believed that the client needs to be the boss of any project.

Wiens was a revolutionary architect during the post-World War II era in Canada, and thus had a key role to play in developing an architectural style for Mid-Western Canada. Like Wiens, she loved nature, and its connection to the human spirit. Due to both Clifford and Patricia Wiens being particularly passionate about nature and art, all of their children pursued careers in creative professions, such as cuisine, jewelry, and design. An example of this would be the Silton Chapel which was found to be coming apart due to moisture rotting the wooden beams in 2015. Royal Canadian Academy of Arts • Associate Member Regina Chapter • President, 1960–1969 Art Gallery of Ontario • The Architecture of Clifford Wiens, 1967 Winnipeg, 2 March-27 April 2007 Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina, 26 May-26 August 2007 Charles H. Scott Gallery, 4 June-13 July 2008

List of prominent works St. Joseph's Church, Whitewood (1959) John Nugent Studio, Lumsden (1960) Round Auditorium, Connaught School and other School Auditoria, Regina (1960–1961) Mennonite Brethren Church, Regina (1961) Lakeshore Residence, near Lebret (1962) Maple Creek Camp and Picnic Grounds Administration Building (1965) Church of Our Lady, Moose Jaw (1966) Heating and Cooling Plant, University of Regina (1967) Silton Chapel, near Silton (1969) Spiral Teepee Picnic Shelters (1970) Nakusp Hot Springs Resort (1974) R.C. Dahl Centre, Swift Current (1974) CBC Studios, Regina (1983) Prince Albert City Hall, Prince Albert (1984) Administration Building, University of Saskatchewan (1987) Auxiliary Building, Augustana University College (1986)

Buildings

St Joseph Catholic Church John Nugent Studio Round Auditorium (Connaught School) Mennonite Brethren Church Lakeshore Residence Our Lady Catholic Church Heating and Cooling Plant Maple Creek Campground Silton Chapel Spiral Teepee Picnic Shelters Nakusp Hot Springs Resort R.C. Dahl Centre CBC Studios, Regina Prince Albert City Hall Administrative Building (University of Saskatchewan) Auxiliary Building (Augustana University College) Poultry Science and Horticultural Building (University of Saskatchewan, 1965) Saskatchewan Legislative Building (restoration and renovation, 1965–1979) National Gallery of Canada (unrealized, 1976)

Select bibliography Monographs Telling Details: The Architecture of Clifford Wiens. Saskatoon: Mendel Art Gallery, 2009. Published in conjunction with the exhibition curated by Trevor Boddy. Project By Project: Architectural/Memoirs, Vancouver: Wiens Publishing House, 2012. Rewind and Fast Forward. Vancouver: Wiens Publishing House, 2012. Essay "Prairie Architecture Examined: Regionalism and Reality." The Canadian Architect 24, no. 10 (October 1979)