Ship Point Waterfront

Victoria, British Columbia | 2016-Present
Ship Point Rendering

Ship Point represents a significant opportunity for Victoria’s Inner Harbour and the city as a whole, to create an iconic attraction that fosters civic vitality, ecological resilience and economic development. The proposed design reimagines this working waterfront as a special event venue, while celebrating its history and maintaining its present functionality. 

The end result is intended to benefit citizens, tourists and investors, fostering civic pride and increasing retail spending—all in a safe, inclusive place.

Ship Point Site Rendering
Ship Point Site Rendering
Site Plan
The Master Plan completes the vision of connecting the waterfront to Victoria’s historical downtown and continuous inner harbour, while providing a vibrant destination in the heart of the provincial capital.

We underwent consultation with the public and stakeholder groups, and incorporated the Harbour Vitality Principles, to create a robust design framework for Ship Point. It responds to the public’s desire for a vibrant, sustainable destination that meets the social, economic, environmental and cultural aspirations of the Inner Harbour.

Ship Point is designed to serve three purposes: it will serve as a year-round festival space for local and global events;. it’s a key arrival point to the capital city with access to and from water; and it’s a unique, working waterfront with a variety of daily operational activities—a strong economic driver for the city.

Ship Point aerial Rendering
Ship Point aerial Rendering
After (Bird's Eye Rendering)
The Ship Point Master Plan transforms the site to a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented place that unifies and revitalizes the Inner Harbour and its connection to the community.

Key to the project was incorporating nine Harbour Vitality Principles identified by the City, ranging from “Promote ecological well-being within the Inner Harbour” and “Celebrate the role of Victoria as the provincial capital” to “Recognize importance of First Nations in Harbour Planning.” These principles guided decisions like the Greenshores Initiative which will create public access and constructed foreshore ecologies along the  water’s edge; establishing an iconic public waterfront destination with grand stair, civic pavillion and waterfront promenade; and a variety of flexible festival spaces in a location recognized by the local Songhees Nations as ‘Matoolia’ or gathering place.

The finished design marries the components of a civic destination with the necessities of a working harbour while incorporating Victoria’s rich history as the Royal City. The result is set to be a model for civic vitality—a threshold for the growing city, ready to welcome locals and the thousands of tourists who disembark in the harbour year round. 

After (Bird's Eye Rendering)
The Master Plan transforms what is currently a significant barrier to accessibility into a distinct destination for people-watching, playful exploration and spectator events while creating a universally accessible condition that seamlessly connects the waterfront with Victoria’s Downtown.

HCMA Architecture + Design
Aqua-Tex Scientific Consulting Ltd.
Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd. 
WSP Canada Ltd. (Geotechnical Engineers, Structural Engineers, Civil Engineers)
Integral Group
Future Landscapes