The Freedom Mobile Arch (formerly the PNE Amphitheatre) is a 10,000-seat, outdoor venue in the heart of Vancouver’s Hastings Park. Designed as a world-class location with exceptional acoustics, this structure is built to create truly memorable experiences.
Walters had worked on a timber structure before, Limberlost Place, but for Sanoop Joseph, one of Walters Group’s Project Managers, this was an entirely new experience. How would the timber behave within the steel? How much would it shift with temperature changes? How would we install it efficiently and safely while maintaining tight tolerances? These were all questions he was curious about. Thankfully, we had an incredible team and partners (EllisDon, Fast + Epp, Nordic Structures, and Revery Architecture) willing to collaborate in building this incredible structure.
The scope for Walters included supplying and installing 800 tons of structural steel as well as installing the timber arches and approximately 6,000 sq. ft. of metal deck in the stage area. The scale and coordination required for this project were significant, but it was an undertaking Walters was well prepared to take on.
Having one of Walters’ top erection crews on site was instrumental in bringing this complex and ambitious structure to life with precision, efficiency, and confidence. The depth of knowledge, experience, and technical expertise across our teams played a major role in the project’s success.
The Architectural Design & Inspiration for the Freedom Mobile Arch
This wasn’t a typical fabrication and erection project. The unique arch geometry, multiple arch components, and steel and timber coordination were all factors that added a high level of complexity in both planning and installation. Inspired by the rich history of Hastings Park, Revery envisioned an elegant roof structure that lightly touches the landscape at three points, framing the dramatic backdrop of the North Shore Mountains.
The Buttresses: Building the Foundation for the Structure
Starting from the ground up, the buttresses provided the support and stability for the main structure. Standing approximately 42 feet high, each buttress included three large, embedded head units, each weighing just over 8 tons, along with a considerable amount of rebar and couplers.
What made this especially challenging was the geometry. No two fin plates were parallel. The design created a subtle wave that required a high level of precision in fabrication. Each connection relied on knife plates with a central pin, meaning even small variations could impact how everything came together on site. Our team trial fit the buttress pins, shear plates, and connecting arches to help ensure all components aligned accurately across the 345 ft clear span.
The King & Keystone Steel Arches: Forming the Primary Structural Skeleton
These King and Keystone steel members formed the primary skeleton of the structure. Each King Arch measured ~210 long and was fabricated in six segments, while each Keystone measured ~115 long and was fabricated in three segments to facilitate shipping and erection. Due to the scale, complex geometry, and tight shop tolerances, extensive trial fits were completed to ensure precise alignment of all components at the Roof Centre Node. In collaboration with the Structural Engineer, Fast + Epp, we also implemented a design refinement to the Roof Centre Node that improved fabrication and installation efficiency while creating a more practical solution for welding and field assembly.
The Glulam Arches: Coordinating Steel and Timber
While all glulam was supplied by Nordic Structures under contract with EllisDon, Walters led the coordination between steel and timber, including the planning and sequencing of deliveries to site.
The stars of the show, the glulam (glue-laminated timber) arches are the standout feature of the Freedom Mobile Arch.60 Black Spruce glulam arches were arranged in six-barrel vaults to create the structure’s distinctive starburst form, supported by three primary foundation points.
Connected at the buttresses and keystones, each vault assembly was made up of nine “Jack” timber arches per side, with a final “Queen” arch completing each end. In total, Walters installed 180 arch segments. Watching the arches come together was a definite highlight of the project and something I’ll always remember. I still think back to the first arch installation, which took a significant amount of time as the team worked through sequencing and coordination. By the final installation, the crew had reduced the process to just 45 minutes per arch — a remarkable improvement that reflected the team’s efficiency, planning, and execution.
The Temporary Shoring System
A temporary shoring system was needed to support the arches during construction, and the sheer scale was pretty incredible. The final system included 15 tower locations, 64 unique tower sections, 18 cable locations, and 12 transfer beams, along with extensive field welding to meet Vancouver’s seismic requirements.
The original plan also called for an additional shoring tower right in the middle of the Back of House area. Instead, Walters reinforced the structure with additional steel shoring support, allowing the building itself to become part of the temporary support system.
Removing that extra tower ended up making a huge difference on site. It reduced congestion in a critical work area, avoided extra installation and removal time, and allowed other trades to keep moving forward on key Back of House elements like stairs, elevators, dressing rooms, lounges, offices, and integrated plug-and-play systems.
Bringing the Freedom Mobile Arch to Life
Thank you to EllisDon, Fast + Epp, Nordic Structures, Revery Architecture, the City of Vancouver and the Walters Group team in bringing the Freedom Mobile Arch to life. Seeing this structure come together has been an unforgettable experience, and I know it will create memorable moments for audiences for years to come. Explore the full case study and Freedom Mobile Arch project details.
Editorial piece originally published by Sanoop Joseph on LinkedIn.