Uniqlo features iconic New Westminster sculpture destroyed in fire

Uniqlo features iconic New Westminster public art sculpture destroyed in fire four years ago

Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive | City of New Westminster

In the world of fashion and design, inspiration often arises from unexpected sources.

Uniqlo, known for its trendy and culturally infused apparel, has a limited edition line of t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, and tote bags celebrating select local landmarks and public art in British Columbia.

This is based on a series of “Trip Poster” designs by Vancouver-based artists Alex and Antho, who launched their iconic North American vintage-style travel brand of decoration and stationery in 2020.

You might also like:

A handful of the duo’s “Trip Poster” designs are available at Uniqlo’s Metropolis at Metrotown mall store as part of the “UTme! collection for Vancouver,” including two designs celebrating British Columbia, one design specifically of Gastown in Vancouver, one design specifically of the views atop Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby, and one design specifically of New Westminster.

What drew our attention was the New Westminster design — one highlighting a lively public art piece.

This public art piece has not existed for nearly four years, so it serves as a touching homage to a former landmark. It was an elaborate public art sculpture destroyed in the New Westminster Pier Park fire in September 2020.

Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive

“Wow Westminster,” the name of the sculpture, was first installed in 2015 as part of the Vancouver Biennale.

Designed by renowned Brazilian artist Jose Resende, the 140-ft-long installation comprised of four 40-ft shipping containers cantilevered to form a giant “W” — a centrepiece for the riverfront park, a placemaker along the Fraser River, and an iconic landmark for New Westminster.

After the fire was extinguished, the sculpture was permanently removed due to extensive structural damage.

The 2015-installed “Wow Westminster” sculpture was destroyed in the 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (City of New Westminster)

The 2015-installed “Wow Westminster” sculpture was destroyed in the 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (PhotosByAlisa/Shutterstock)

The 2015-installed “Wow Westminster” sculpture was destroyed in the 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (Stephanie Braconnier/Shutterstock)

The 2015-installed “Wow Westminster” sculpture was destroyed in the 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (Emi330/Shutterstock)

The 2015-installed “Wow Westminster” sculpture was destroyed in the 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (City of New Westminster)

The fire of the century-old industrial wharf, which had been transformed as part of the riverfront park’s initial opening in 2012, was fuelled by the creosote-soaked structural timbers beneath the wharf platform. The fire burned for nearly two weeks, and the arson suspect died before he could face charges in court.

The destroyed wharf accounted for half of the area of the riverfront park in downtown New Westminster. No timeline has been established for the potential reconstruction of the park’s destroyed area.

In October 2023, the City of New Westminster reached an insurance claim settlement of $30 million for the park’s fire damage, including $8 million for the previous cleanup and demolition work. It also began a consultation process with local First Nations on the future of the riverfront area.

Tall flames next to the “Wow Westminster” sculpture in the September 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (cnkdnzmn/Twitter)

Tall flames next to the “Wow Westminster” sculpture in the September 2020 fire at New Westminster Pier Park. (Utah Cowx/Twitter)

The former footprint of the old wharf section of New Westminster Pier Park and the former location of the “Wow Westminster” sculpture. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Uniqlo currently has four stores across Metro Vancouver, including locations at CF Richmond Centre, Coquitlam Centre, Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, and Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby.

Nearly seven years after opening its first store in the region at Metrotown, it has yet to open a location in downtown Vancouver.

However, strong demand prompted Uniqlo to expand its Metrotown store by over 6,000 sq ft to 27,000 sq ft in 2022. This is Uniqlo’s largest store in Metro Vancouver by a wide margin, and it is the only location with the “UTme!” collection.

It remains to be seen whether Uniqlo will open at the new Oakridge Park (Oakridge Centre) shopping mall, which is expected to open in Spring 2025.

You might also like: