Xwáýxway Landing
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Proposed
Xwáýxway, which means “place of masks,” was a human settlement on the shores of the Salish Sea, one of many communities that existed before the rapid growth of the city of Vancouver. Today, all that exists at this site is a splash park, a concessions stand, the lumberman’s arch monument and a large lawn. This thesis seeks to restore visibility to a site of cultural erasure and allow for the return of a proud indigenous presence there.
Xwáýxway landing is pier linking the complex cultural and ecological fabric of Stanley Park with a nomadic floating vessel which traverses the varied ecosystems of Georgia Strait, gathering materials and knowledge. After collection, materials process through the pier’s elevated studios and are transformed into works of art, the making of which becomes an act of resistance to cultural erasure. Finally, in the cloud-like longhouse beyond the studios, the works are incorporated into the ceremonies and gatherings which sustain indigenous culture and recall the memory of the historic longhouse which once stood there.
