$2 million budget for public art at all Surrey-Langley SkyTrain stations

First Nations public art in the 2019-built expansion of SkyTrain Surrey Central Station. (TransLink)

Following the same design principles as the newer or more recently renovated SkyTrain stations, public art will be a prominent design component at each of the future eight stations on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line.

Provincial crown corporation Transportation Investment Corporation has launched the procurement process seeking up to eight artists or artist teams to design site-specific permanent public art installations.

There will be a public art opportunity at each of the eight stations, with the installation either being a general/public art piece or an Indigenous cultural recognition public art piece.

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The artist budget for each public art piece is $250,000 — a total of $2 million for the SkyTrain extension’s entire public art program.

It is noted that the artist budget does not include installation, as that will be the responsibility of the SkyTrain project’s construction contractors.

The public art designs can be non-glass 2D artwork (such as replacing wall tiles or cladding with the art design), 3D artwork (art mounted directly over wall surfaces, suspended from the ceiling, or free-standing; located inside the station, on the exterior, or at the station plaza), or 2D glass art (art mounted offset from station’s glass facade or fully integrated as part of the station glass walls).

Due to safety and operational considerations, other types of public art — such as murals, kinetic art, digital, video or projection art — are not being pursued. The design concepts should follow the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

Public art is also a CPTED principle, as it helps create a sense of pride and ownership amongst residents of a community, with SkyTrain stations known to become community hubs over time. For instance, specific applications of public art can also reduce graffiti.

Stained glass windows for public art at the recently renovated east stationhouse for SkyTrain Joyce-Collingwood Station. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Recent west stationhouse upgrades at SkyTrain Joyce-Collingwood Station with colourful public art murals. (TransLink)

The deadline for artists or artist teams to express their interest in the current request for qualifications (RFQ) process is February 28, 2024. This competition is open to artists currently living in Canada.

Up to three artists or artist teams will be shortlisted for each of the stations, and they will be notified of their invitation to enter the request for proposals (RFP) process in March 2024. Shortlisted artists will create their RFP detailed design concepts before the end of May 2024, and the selected artists will be chosen by August 2024.

The selected artists will design and fabricate their works between 2025 and 2027 for delivery and installation in 2028.

Major construction work on the $4 billion, 16 km-long SkyTrain Expo Line extension along Fraser Highway between King George Station and Langley Centre will begin soon, sometime in the first half of 2024. The extension is expected to reach completion and open by late 2028.

Last month, the provincial government announced the official names of the eight stations. From west to east, they are Green Timbers Station, 152 Street Station, Fleetwood Station, Bakerview-166 Street Station, Hillcrest-184 Street Station, Clayton Station, Willowbrook Station, and Langley City Centre Station.

In July 2021, four artists/artist teams were named to design general/public art installations at four of the six new stations on SkyTrain Millennium Line’s Broadway extension, which will open in 2026. All six stations will have separate Indigenous public art installations, with the provincial government working with the three First Nations within Vancouver on the separate Indigenous public artwork.

surrey langley skytrain map official station names

Map of the official station names of the eight new stations on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

surrey langley skytrain 152 street station

Artistic rendering of 152 Street Station on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)

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