The Vancouver Art Gallery says it is not going ahead with a planned design for its new home after construction costs soared by $200 million.

Vancouver Art Gallery CEO Anthony Kiendl also says in a written statement that it would no longer be working with the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, although it remains committed to building a new cultural hub that will B次元官网网址渟erve and inspire diverse audiences.B次元官网网址�

Construction at the site of the new building in downtown Vancouver will be paused, just a few months after the gallery announced that the estimated cost surged from the original budget of $400 million to $600 million for the nine-level tower.

Kiendl says that his organization has been reassessing the project ever since, and B次元官网网址渋t has become clearB次元官网网址� that the gallery needs a new way forward to meet its artistic mission and vision, and its practical needs.

The new art gallery was to be opened in 2028, and fundraising efforts raised more than $350 million for the project by August.

Officials had said that the first stage of pre-construction has been completed, and Kiendl says the gallery will reveal more details on its next steps B次元官网网址渙ver the coming months.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淥ur goal is to create a building that embodies a diverse and inclusive artistic vision while ensuring financial sustainability within a fixed budget,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲e recognize that inflation has put tremendous pressure on our plans, as it has done with many capital projects following the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淎t its last meeting, the board approved updated strategic priorities that will guide the gallery as we move forward,B次元官网网址� the statement says.