Description of Historic Place

The two-storey Kwisitis Visitor Centre at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve possesses an irregular plan and elevation, aspects of which produce the appearance of a series of smaller buildings designed in the Late Modern and West Coast styles of architecture. It consists of several discrete sections topped by gabled and shed roofs, barrel-vaulted skylights, and the exterior finish is cedar board and batten cladding and rough concrete. The building was originally completed in 1965 as a hotel and was extensively renovated from 1978 to 1982 by architect Bruno Freschi to create the current structure.

Heritage Value

The Kwisitis Visitor Centre is a “Recognized” Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations and architectural and environmental values.

Historical value:
The Kwisitis Visitor Centre illustrates the development of Canada’s National Park system, specifically its continued expansion in the second half of the twentieth century. During this time, Parks Canada focused increasingly on orientation and interpretation for visitors at national parks, building visitor centres to serve as centralized gateways and as a new way of presenting experiences to visitors. The Kwisitis Visitor Centre is also associated with the development of road tourism in British Columbia, particularly in the Wickaninnish Beach Area. An initial phase of growth in this region occurred just before the establishment of the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, while a second phase led by Parks Canada occurred shortly after the reserve’s creation. The visitor centre further represents the historical evolution of the community stretching from Tofino to Ucluelet, as its construction followed a local grassroots initiative to create a park for the protection and use of the area. The time period associated with this development can be traced from the late 1950s, which saw the installation of a road to Port Alberni, to the establishment of the National Park Reserve and then the inauguration of the visitor centre in the early 1980s.

Architectural value:
The two-storey Kwisitis Visitor Centre at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve combines features of Late Modern and West Coast styles of architecture. It has an irregular plan that follows the topography of its sloped and rocky site, and is composed of discrete sections, including the restaurant, display space, and link between the two, some of which date to the 1960s when it was originally the Wickaninnish Inn.

Between 1978 and 1982, Parks Canada dismantled most of the hotel, installed a new foundation, and constructed a new wing. Several improvements to the building in relation to its site were made at this time, including the construction of a boardwalk and decks. Architect Bruno Freschi, known for his work as chief architect for Expo 86, oversaw this project. He had worked at the firm of Erickson/Massey Architects from 1964 to 1970. Although the Kwisitis Visitor Centre has undergone several modifications, it remains a good example of functional design as shown by its multi-use capacity with elements such as a theatre and visitor experience facilities.

Environmental value:
The Kwisitis Visitor Centre welcomes visitors to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and is one component of a larger site that also includes the parking lot, service road, small trails, boardwalk system to the beaches, and rear access to the building. Some changes that have occurred around the building include the addition of a Korean War memorial and a pathway. The centre is visible from Long Beach and consequently helps to reinforce not only the character and settler history of the area, but most notably the land’s status as a National Park Reserve. Within the region stretching from Tofino to Ucluelet the Kwisitis Visitor Centre is a familiar landmark, being the most prominent building within the reserve’s Long Beach Unit.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Kwisitis Visitor Centre that should be respected include: Its articulation of the marriage between Late Modernism and West Coast Style, as expressed by:
- Late Modernism elements such as full-height openings, lack of ornamentation, and a simplification of overall form;
- West Coast Style elements such as the integration with the rocky site; the use of cedar shingles, exterior cladding including board and batten; interior wood ceiling and wall finishes complete with exposed red cedar post and beam construction, notably interior columns hand-adzed by Henry Nolla;
- an interior comprised largely of an open, flowing central space featuring rough-hewn logs;
- the placement of windows that offer views of the setting, including the dominance of glazing on the north and south walls of the restaurant section.

The building’s overall architectural expression and roof profile, shown by:
- the irregular plan and elevation, aspects of which give the impression of the building being a series of smaller buildings standing together in close proximity;
- its gabled roofs;
- its barrel–vaulted skylights surmounting double-height open colonnades;
- the cedar brise–soleil element on the west elevation, above the main door area;
- the swayback roof profile over the restaurant (dating to the period of the former inn).

The integration of the building within nature and the landscape, achieved by means of:
- its natural materials, orientation to the Pacific Ocean, and sensitively located boardwalks and decks.