Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society

About

While construction proposals for the center began in the early 1970s, The CCC as an organization was formally formed in 1973 with the support of the Canadian government and 53 community organizations. The CCC was officially registered as a non-profit organization in April 1974.

In 1978 the CCC and National Gallery of Canada launched a joint competition for the design of the main complex and surrounding property. 40 architectural firms participated in the competition. The commission was ultimately won by Hong Kong architect James K. M. Cheng. Construction of the first administration and education complex was finished in 1980, where it was subsequently opened to the public.

In November 1998, the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society (CCMMS) was founded by Colonel Howe Lee The museum was established on the second floor of the CCC building through funding raised within the Chinese Canadian community.

The building drew inspiration from the Forbidden City in Beijing China as a symbolic representation of Chinese identity and culture. The main entrance on Pender Street was intended to reflect the experience of entering the Imperial Palace, with visitors moving through a series of transitional spaces including a courtyard, interior entrance, forecourt, and central hall. The east wing in particular draws parallels with the Hall of Supreme Harmony with the inclusion of a double-eave hip roof, a feature historically associated with official and ceremonial architecture of Imperial China.

The design of the building has been described as an example of Chinatown incorporation of cultural stereotypes and Orientalism, given the architectural references associated with the Ming Dynasty within a late-20th-century urban context. On the many design submissions for the building, the original design jury admitted that "no architectural form derived from the Eastern typology was desirable or necessary."