Richard Henriquez

Richard George Henriquez (born 5 February 1941 in Annotto Bay, Jamaica) is a Canadian architect and artist known for founding Henriquez & Todd with Robert Todd in 1969 which evolved over 55 years to become the Henriquez Partners Architects of today. His projects are known for its blend of unique design with its historical context. His accumulation of work are celebrated by dozens of awards including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal in 2005, Governor Generals Medal in 1994 and the Order of Canada in 2017.

Design approach Richard Henriquez was known for his focus on the place of memory and history in his work. He believed that contemporary buildings are disconnected with the past and so his architecture carries a memory which he calls "issue is continuity between the past, the future and the present, and making people aware of their place in time and space." In a particular interview, Henriquez notes that Roman cities were laid out by cardines (running north to south) and decumanus (running east to west), all in line with the rising sun. He believed that cities once had a relationship to nature, and wanted to take inspiration from the past. He incorporates historic elements in a variety of ways such as relating the archaeology of the site to the traditional mythic stories that were passed down the generation.

Childhood influences Henriquez was born from a modest family. When Henriquez was three years old, a hurricane almost destroyed his family's home. Later that year, he discovered his father - an agricultural instructor who was Lancaster fighter pilot in World War 2 - was killed in action.

Henriquez also credits his grand-uncle for his inspiration of pursuing architecture. His grand-uncle was a multifaceted artisan that was a sculptor, painter, architect and an engineer. This influenced young Henriquez to follow his footsteps and explored artistic endeavors such as creating sculptures out of limestone and painting. None of his other 2 brothers and 2 sisters followed the same artistic pursuits, although his older sister, Kay Levy, worked in the early days of the firm as the bookkeeper and office manager. Henriquez had always designed for, however it was in this project when he started to develop his philosophical stances in architecture. The project was deeply influenced by his supervisor, Lubicz-Nycz who believed that architecture is spiritual, where it must honor the past and carry its narrative, while allowing future growth. This narrative approach becomes and integral part of Henriquez's design process in his future works. On its west side is the Sylvia Hotel, built originally as a luxury apartment but was converted to be a luxury hotel to keep up with the finances during the economic downturn of the roaring twenties. The Sylvia hotel had a "streaky bacon style" aesthetic, meaning it was a brick building with its base and corner cornice capitals made of strips of stone in a lighter color.

A main objective in the architecture is to create an open concept space, and therefore the creation of a T-shaped galleria. The design of the building preserved each of the four building's historic character and individuality while the glazing was designed in a neutral manner.

Memory Theatre Memory Theatre is an exhibition showcasing twenty-five years of accomplishment by Richard Henriquez. It was a travelling exhibition co-produced by the Canadian Centre for Architecture and Vancouver Art Gallery in 1993. Right at the centre of the Theatre is a cylindrical globe. On top of the pole of the globe is Vancouver. By picking a point on the model, the device can be made to point towards the true objective. The architect did so as a way to contrast the Copernican model of the earth by having the earth as the centre of the universe. It shows that the present time and place to be conscious of one's narrative. as memory is used to pinpoint the present.