THE FAIRMONT WATERFRONT BUZZES WITH LIVING ART
Rooftop Honeybees Call New Art Collection Home
Many would aspire to live the life in downtown Vancouver complete with a rooftop garden overlooking the spectacular harbour and North Shore mountains. These days, there’s a real buzz over these million dollar views at The Fairmont Waterfront where a collection of five new hives have been created by the students of Emily Carr University of Art & Design and Capilano University’s IDEA Program. Just over 400,000 honeybees now call this collection of living art their homes in the north facing 2,100 square foot lush harbour garden.
The rooftop hives are each individually interpreted by the five art students who were selected from a call for creative talent. Meet these emerging artists and their artistic vision for the project.
ANSON AGUIRRE FIRTH, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
Bee Dance | Inspired by the beauty of Coast Salish art, Anson Aguirre Firth incorporates stylized patterns reminiscent of a ritual bee dance. Retaining the symbolic interpretation of figures and nature from First Nations art, he creates a home for the resident honeybees that translates into a living art form.
MIKA JORONEN, Capilano University IDEA Program
Hive Amber | With an original concept of encasing a bee motif in amber, Mika Joronen’s design comes to life with moody undertones that have become his signature style. Expanding upon the amber stone theme, Mika incorporates vines and briar to weave a continuous design around the entire hive box.
VANESSA LOWE, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
A Bee’s Experience | Taking inspiration from a Emily Dickinson poem, an espaliered apple tree in her roof top garden and her concept of the existence of bees, Vanessa Lowe created this lovely hive box. The repeating surface wrap is designed to echo the elegance of the poem, and the motifs, blossoms and chain link with the vivid colours were chosen to convey the life of the modern day bee.
CARRIE MCKELLAR, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
Flight of the Bumblebee | Carrie McKellar’s interpretative design is inspired by the intricate flight paths of honeybees. She depicts this fascinating phenomenon in brilliant floral hues from poppy reds and gerbera oranges to sunflower yellows.
ANDREA WALTERS, Capilano University IDEA Program
Beauty and the Bees | With a love for the natural world, Andrea Walters’ vision for her creation takes on a garden theme of bright and colourful florals. Assuming that the bees had a choice for design, their preference would gravitate to a hive with a garden on their front door.
Happy residents produce honey and The Fairmont Waterfront anticipates over 600 lbs. of liquid gold for the 2010 season. Unlike many parts of the world where ‘colony collapse disorder’ is a concern, the hotel’s resident bees are thriving. Guests of the hotel are invited to join the weekly garden and hive tours conducted by Director of Housekeeping and resident Beekeeper, Graeme Evans and learn more about the hotel’s leading sustainability practices. With over 60 varieties of herbs, edible blooms, fruits and vegetables benefiting from the work of the honeybees, Executive Chef, Patrick Dore and his brigade harvest the freshest produce and honey for use with the hotel’s restaurant and lounge menus.
Book The Birds and The Bees package and make The Fairmont Waterfront your home sweet home. Package includes a one night stay, full buffet breakfast, Chef’s honey-themed welcome amenity and a personalized herb garden/beehive tour. Package rates start at CAD$269 for a Fairmont Room based upon double occupancy and subject to applicable taxes. To book, call 1-866-540-4509 or visit www.fairmont.com/waterfront.
ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
With over 60 distinctive hotels, including the iconic Fairmont San Francisco and Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai, and more in development, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality brand known for its warm and engaging service and culturally rich experiences. Located in coveted worldwide destinations, its unrivalled collection of classic hotels imbue a sense of heritage, sophistication, and social importance, and are often considered destinations in and of themselves. Fairmont is also committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with 95 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded residences, estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com
