40 ft. tall Indigenous art to light up South Granville Station entrance | Daily Hive

40-foot-tall Indigenous art to light up future South Granville Station entrance

Concept of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower, outside the entrance into South Granville Station. (PCI Developments)

Although the SkyTrain Millennium Line’s Broadway Extension is still more than two years away from completion and opening, the public will be able to enjoy a major new piece of public art soon this year, well ahead of the subway’s debut, when the construction fencing along Granville Street at the development site comes down.

Immediately outside the future street entrance into South Granville Station, prominently situated at the northeast corner of the intersection of West Broadway and Granville Street, a 40-foot-tall public art sculpture — designed by Squamish Nation artist James Nexw’Kalus-Xwalacktun Harry and Japanese-Trinidadian artist Lauren Brevner — has just been installed.

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Wrapping around a structural concrete column of PCI Developments’ newly built The Stories tower, the art piece, named “Sínulhḵay,” is made of a combination of metal cladding that is lined with reclaimed, charred red cedar.

The piece is a blend of Squamish Nation and Japanese cultural heritages, with the metal cladding taking the design inspiration of a supernatural double-headed serpent in the First Nation’s mythology. The sculpture is named after this creature.

Sínulhḵay stories tower art south granville station

Installation of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower, outside the entrance into South Granville Station. (PCI Developments)

Sínulhḵay stories tower art south granville station june 2 2025

Installed condition of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower at South Granville Station, as of June 2, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

The blackened wooden interior beneath the metal cladding evokes yakisugi — a traditional Japanese technique of wood preservation through fire.

In the context of this piece, the fire has scorched the path of the double-headed serpent.

With the inclusion of nighttime lighting for the installation, Sínulhḵay will have a lantern-like effect, further defining its landmark significance at the building’s corner.

Concept of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower, outside the entrance into South Granville Station. (PCI Developments)

Harry is a graduate of Emily Carr University of Art & Design (ECUAD), while Brevner’s education includes a mentorship with artist and designer Sin Nakayamal in Osaka.

“We are thrilled with Lauren and James’ extraordinary artwork, and the story it tells about our collective home,” said Tim Grant, president of PCI.

“We’re honoured to share Sínulhḵay at The Stories at South Granville Station. Our PCI team endeavours to continue to learn from and recognize the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ Nations. We’re committed to developing long-term relationships and exploring future collaborations.”

The installation of Sínulhḵay was spearheaded and funded by PCI.

Installation of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower, outside the entrance into South Granville Station. (PCI Developments)

Sínulhḵay stories tower art south granville station 1

Installation of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower, outside the entrance into South Granville Station. (PCI Developments)

James Nexw’Kalus-Xwalacktun Harry and Lauren Brevner. (PCI Developments)

The art is positioned not only immediately outside the subway station entrance, but also a retail unit dedicated for a cafe.

Designed by architectural firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, the 39-storey The Stories tower at 2488 Granville St. also features a Royal Bank of Canada branch, a 22,000 sq. ft. Loblaws City Market grocery store on the second level, and 100,000 sq. ft. of office space within the upper levels of the base podium, including Nicola Wealth’s new headquarters office, as well as 226 units of secured purpose-built rental housing within the tower above the podium. There are 44 below-market rental homes and 182 market rental homes, with the building’s first residents set to move in within the next month.

Given that The Stories features the fully integrated entrance into South Granville Station, the tower’s completion was timed for the Millennium Line extension’s original scheduled opening date of late 2025.

However, the subway’s opening date has since been pushed to Fall 2027.

Construction on the six new subway stations and railway equipment has taken a new pace, ever since tunnel boring on the project reached full completion in April 2024.

As of today, railway infrastructure is progressing on almost all sections of the 5.7-km-long extension, and construction on the stations has reached multiple underground levels, reaching the upper roof of structures.

south granville station construction february 2025

Construction progress on the entrance into SkyTrain South Granville Station on the Millennium Line’s Broadway extension, February 2025. (Government of BC)

Escalator installation; construction progress on the entrance into SkyTrain South Granville Station on the Millennium Line’s Broadway extension, July 2024. (Government of BC)

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SkyTrain South Granville Station design concept, April 2021. (Government of BC)

The progress at South Granville Station is particularly advanced, with a large portion of the station’s floor area situated within the ground and underground levels of the tower. Last year, installation work began on the station’s escalator mechanical equipment.

In addition to PCI’s commissioned work by Harry and Brevner, the provincial government’s subway project has also contracted Vancouver-born Derek Root, a graduate of ECUAD, to design a public art piece for South Granville Station’s interior. Root is among four artists for the subway project’s general art program, which will also produce art for Great Northern Way-Emily Carr, Mount Pleasant, and Broadway-City Hall stations.

In addition to the general art program, the provincial government is also providing all six stations with separate Indigenous public art installations.

If approved, a proposal by Gracorp Properties — also designed by Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership — to build a 35-storey, mixed-use tower at 1470 West Broadway (the south side of the street) could provide South Granville Station with a secondary entrance, in addition to the main entrance at The Stories.

Installed condition of Sínulhḵay at The Stories tower at South Granville Station, as of June 2, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

1477 west broadway vancouver the stories at south granville station tower construction spring 2024

Spring 2024 construction progress on The Stories at South Granville Station tower at 1477 West Broadway, Vancouver. (Take Off Photography/PCI Developments)

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