Proposal to turn Stanley Park polar bear enclosure into a spa destination

Sep 17, 2023

Could the abandoned polar bear enclosure in Stanley Park be completely transformed into a Scandinavian-style sauna destination?

A new pitch by Tony Osborn Architecture & Design (TOAD) imagines the complete conversion of the same pools where polar bears used to swim into a space for leisure bathers.

As well, the perimeter trench that separated the polar bears from the visitors above would be covered to create an underground, tile-covered, cave pool with a waterfall at its entrance.

New structures would also rise above areas around the enclosure to provide indoor amenity spaces as part of the spa experience.

Altogether, there would be cold and hot pools, a steam room and sauna, indoor and outdoor relaxation lounges, a sun deck, a fire pit lounge, various indoor and outdoor shower options, a rain garden, a fern garden with a water feature, an indoor cafe with a patio, and a reserved space for reconciliation, in collaboration with local First Nations.

Underground cave pool; conceptual artistic rendering of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Cafe in the indoor space; conceptual artistic rendering of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Main entrance; conceptual artistic rendering of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Cold and hot pools; conceptual artistic rendering of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Historical photo of the polar bear exhibit overlaid on the conceptual artistic rendering of the spa attraction at the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

The enclosure's last polar bear, Tuk, was deemed too old for relocation following the 1994 public referendum that voted to shutter the historic Stanley Park Zoo, with the polar bear enclosure being just one of its numerous attractions. Nearly all of the zoo was closed by 1996, with the exception of the polar bear exhibit, which closed in 1997 following the death of Tuk.

Today, the polar bear enclosure is the only remaining publicly visible remnant of the zoo. The enclosure is located behind the trees just southwest of the Vancouver Aquarium's entrance plaza.

"Our team has been fascinated by this modern ruin for years now. We really wanted to find a way for visitors to Stanley Park to reoccupy this abandoned site without erasing its complicated history," said Tony Osborn, the owner of TOAD.

"It's strange that this site, in the heart of Stanley Park, has been off-limits for almost three decades now. We’d like to see it opened to the public again as a Nordic-style sauna that is accessible by everyone."

Previous condition of the polar bear enclosure before the closure of the Stanley Park Zoo:

Historical photo of the polar bear enclosure at the Stanley Park Zoo during its heyday. (City of Vancouver Archives)

Historical photo of the polar bear enclosure at the Stanley Park Zoo during its heyday. (City of Vancouver Archives)

Existing condition of the abandoned polar bear enclosure at the former Stanley Park Zoo:

The abandoned polar bear enclosure of the former Stanley Park Zoo. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The abandoned polar bear enclosure of the former Stanley Park Zoo. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The abandoned polar bear enclosure of the former Stanley Park Zoo. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The abandoned polar bear enclosure of the former Stanley Park Zoo. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Osborn told Daily Hive Urbanized such a concept aligns with the Vancouver Park Board's January 2023 direction to explore new commercial opportunities to generate new revenue sources. Park Board staff were directed to return to the commissioners later this year with a potential revenue-generating strategy for implementation.

The Park Board already gains commercial lease-based revenue from attractions like the Vancouver Aquarium and from various privately-operated restaurants on park space, such as Prospect Point Bar & Grill, The Teahouse Restaurant, Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub, and Cactus Club Cafe in English Bay. But a majority of Park Board commissioners have identified a need to generate new revenue sources to help fund the operations, maintenance, and upgrade of facilities.

They say their unsolicited proposal has been shared with all Park Board commissioners, but they have yet to hear back from them.

"The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is always thinking of ways to improving the visitor and user experience at our parks and recreation centres, as well as, building facilities like pools, fields and playgrounds," Scott Jensen, the chair of the elected body of the Park Board, told Daily Hive Urbanized in an email.

"We encourage interesting and unique proposals like this one that might prompt some out of the box thinking to be submitted to the Park Board for consideration and discussion. Innovative business ideas that respect the local First Nation: Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and include the commitment to work collaboratively with the Stanley Park Intergovernmental Committee bring excitement to this Board."

Site plan of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Underground floor plan (cave pool) of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Level 1 floor plan of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Level 2 floor plan of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Osborn adds that they are "very excited" for the HAVN permanent spa attraction opening in Victoria Inner Harbour in early June 2023 on a floating barge. They have had some discussions with potential operators like Whistler's Scandinave Spa, but he says the Park Board has a process for identifying operators for such facilities.

"We’re hoping Vancouverites are excited about this idea. I mean, going to Stanley Park on a rainy winter afternoon for a relaxing soak surrounded by old cedars… It would be incredible. We need more facilities like this because we have the perfect climate for them" said Egor Revenko with TOAD.

Osborn notes there is no ballpark estimate for the construction cost of such a project, as the concept at this stage is still highly preliminary.

But they note it would require the removal of some trees for the new adjacent structures, which would be situated mostly over existing paved areas in order to minimize the attraction's footprint, which is about 30,000 sq ft.

TOAD is known for a wide range of design works, including recent projects such as the new LaSalle College campus in East Vancouver, and other conceptual works, such as the imagining of an alternative new Vancouver Art Gallery home on the footprint of the Granville Bridge's north loops.

Cross-section of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

Cross-section of the indoor building of the spa attraction at the former polar bear enclosure of the closed Stanley Park Zoo. (Tony Osborn Architecture & Design)

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