Downtown Vancouver’s pink alley, also known as Alley-Oop, has won an international award honouring exceptional public spaces.
The Downtown Vancouver BIA won the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence for the More Awesome Now laneway project.
Alley-Oop was among 11 entries in the category of Public Space. The category features capital improvements that have enhanced the urban design, transportation methods, physical function, or economic viability of downtown areas.
“We set out to transform an under-utilized space into a vibrant public space-friendly, accessible, and a lively part of our downtown urban streetscape,” said Charles Gauthier, president and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver BIA.
The laneway was developed in response to results from the Re-Imagine Downtown Vancouver survey. More than 11,000 people surveyed said they wanted downtown Vancouver to be home to a connected series of activated alleyways with art walls where graffiti and visual storytelling are encouraged.
The group that created Alley-Oop includes the DVBIA, HCMA Architecture + Design and the City of Vancouver’s VIVA Vancouver program.
The next More Awesome Now laneway is located off of Granville St. behind the Orpheum Theatre, called Ackery’s Alley. The space will feature FIELD, a dynamic public art installation. Preparation is already underway, with the adjacent building walls having just been painted last week.
