EY Vancouver Elevator Lobby Murals

EY Vancouver

Vancouver, BC

EY Canada’s newest Canadian office opened in a high-profile building called The Stack. The team utilized The Stack’s elevator lobbies on EY’s three floors to recognize this milestone while also representing Indigenous communities. The team designed the murals by integrating a section of a custom piece of formline art commissioned from Vancouver-based Indigenous artist, John Velten. The murals were graphically styled to replicate the intricate qualities of handcrafting and carving. These elements were replicated strategically across multiple floors. By splitting the artwork into three horizontal sections, they honoured the notion of the totem pole. Viewed together, the murals form a single—and remarkable—piece of formline art. Working through time constraints, shifting deadlines and installation challenges, the team was committed to realizing the project’s vision. When The Stack opened its doors to hundreds of EY employees in 2023, the murals played a leading role in the celebration. They captured attention and hearts, engaging folks as they took their first steps into the new office. Through design, EY Canada successfully connected Vancouver’s past with its future.

Judge’s Pick

Paul Williams, Director, Creative Services at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS

“The project clearly achieved its stated strategic targets: a respectful honouring of natural, sustainable, historical and modern elements through an Indigenous lens. From a distance, the designs may seem simplistic, but up close, the craft and care is revealed. The ‘totem pole’ approach—likely not even noticed by casual users of the space—is subtly brilliant.”