Surrey City Hall

An expansive public plaza, library, and city center

Surrey is the second-largest communities in British Columbia, Canada, and its population continues to skyrocket at a growth rate of a thousand per month. To promote downtown growth, the city built this brand-new, $97-million (CAD), 210,000 sq-ft city hall in 2014. The building features an ultra-modern glass facade, and earned an impressive LEED Gold rating which mirrors the cities drive to become a leader in sustainability and innovation.

The city hall also features a large civic plaza. The idea was to design a public area that encourages bringing people together, by providing a space for events like concerts, community festivals, and holiday celebrations. The square also connects some important city buildings: the plaza is flanked by the City Hall, Surrey City Centre Library, 3 Civic Plaza (a modern condo development), and SFU (Simon Fraser University). This is the start to a long drive for economic growth; this city plaza and surrounding buildings will boost the downtown usable office space to 3M sq ft and the creation of 43,000 jobs.

A combination light and dark stone is used to visually break up the space. BEGA stainless steel linear in-grade fixtures are integrated into the stone, creating an eye-catching effect at night when the fixtures glow a soft white. These robust luminaires are designed to take on the tough weathering of constant foot traffic and events, and boast a drive-over rating up to 11,000 lbs.

Several entrances and outdoor walkways are discreetly lit by BEGA wall luminaires. The standard BEGA black finish on the wall luminaire blends in beautifully with the black stone material on the facade. The classic fixture shape stands out, without overpowering the architecture.