There is no magic hour at Ellipsis. Or, put another way: magic hour exists all day, from the cafe and cocktail bar’s opening at 9 a.m. until its closing at 11 p.m.

In the morning, natural light streams in through the sloped floor-to-ceiling windows, marking the passage of time as the windowpanes’ shadows move along the walls, as if casting spells. When afternoon fades into early evening and the sun begins to set, a light projection of a glowing orb appears on the back wall, subtle at first, its sunset colours hushed. As night descends, the orb glows brighter, its yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds turning vibrant against the darkened room.

To spend any time at all in Ellipsis is to notice how time shifts, and to honour it. Found within Vancouver’s iconic Waterfall Building—designed by the late and great architect Arthur Erickson, in partnership with Nick Milkovich Architects—Ellipsis is breathing new life into this important space.

Opened in 2001 just outside of Granville Island, the Waterfall Building consists of four major blocks of artist live-work studios, with a quiet courtyard in the middle. Bordered at its entrance with a horizontal waterfall, the development is anchored by a triangular building made of concrete and glass. Originally designed as an art gallery, it has been chronically underused in recent memory, rented out for weddings and other one-off events.

But now Ellipsis has finally given the space new purpose, utilizing subtle design touches that enhance Erickson’s vision rather than detract from it. Designed by Mira Yung and Benny Kwok of Sml Studio Architecture, in collaboration with Tetherstone Construction and owner Ming Yang, Ellipsis is a contemporary homage to one of Canada’s most celebrated architects.

“One of the main things we wanted to do was preserve what Arthur Erickson had before,” explains Yung.

“It was a lot of peeling back,” says Kwok, referring to the various “hodgepodge” elements that were tacked on to the space over the years, “and really trying to bring in more texture and warmth to the space.”

The restoration portion of the project involved the removal of residential- style baseboards (which had been put on top of the original gallery ones), half-finished tiles along the walls, murals in the washrooms, and a bar off to one side that made the whole place feel off-kilter. In place of all that, the designers put two stainless steel bars against the glass—one on either side of the entrance. The bar to the right is reserved for caffeinated drinks, while the one on the left is for cocktails (including the memorable What’s Your Red Flag, made with rum, coconut, chai pineapple, rice lager, lime, and mango-habanero cordial).

“We wanted to play with reflections and mirrors,” says Kwok. “That’s why the two bars in the front have vibration-finish stainless steel, and then on the bottom it’s a polished mirror finish. So you’re almost looking at these as floating objects within a gallery space.”

The concrete floor was polished to reveal its industrial-style beauty. A lime wash was added to the walls, giving them a subtle, lived-in texture. Banquette seating was built along the back, with recycled-wood accents and luscious, burnt-orange fabric. Altogether, it feels both respectful of its history and irresistibly relevant. A perfect place in which to pass the time.

Feature image courtesy of Ellipsis.