Capstan Station

About the Project

Capstan Station is a new Canada Line station in the City of Richmond, built in the area of No. 3 Road and Capstan Way. It’s located between the existing Bridgeport and Aberdeen stations.

On the average weekday, there are more than 37,000 customers riding the Canada Line between those two stations.

The station was built to support the growing development in the area and to provide customers with convenient access to the SkyTrain network. This exciting project delivers a safe, efficient, and environmentally sustainable transportation option for the Capstan Village area, which projects up to 16,000 residents once nearby developments are completed.

TransLink worked closely with the City of Richmond on the design of the station. It’s integrated with the nearby roads and buildings, and meets the City’s objectives for the area, which includes developing connected, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

Planning Timeline

Public engagement (Nov. 16 to 23, 2020)

Shared project status update and included illustrations of different views of the station.

Station design completion (summer 2021)

The full station design was completed in early summer.

Construction start (summer 2021)

Capstan Station opened to the public on Dec. 20, 2024.

Public Engagement

From Nov. 16 to 23, 2020, we held a virtual open house to share the station design concept and to ask for public feedback on the design. The feedback will be reviewed by the project team and taken into consideration as the design work progresses. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their input.

Although the engagement period is now closed, please feel free to view the Engagement Boards and the Engagement Summary Report to learn more about the project.

If you have any questions about the project, please email capstan@translink.ca.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of amenities are included in the station?

The station includes two sets of up and down escalators, two elevators, bright lighting, a future commercial retail unit and bike lockers and public art. It also meets accessibility standards including the inclusion of platform edge tactical strips.

Does the station include public washrooms?

No, the station does not include public washrooms. However, the adjacent development will have public washrooms just a few minutes’ walk from the station (i.e. approximately 70 metres away).

Is there public art at the station?

An large public art piece called The Breath Below has been incorporated into the station (please see the Public Art at the Station section below for more information). The public art component will enhance the customer experience with thought-provoking and stunning art.

Will there be a retail space at the station? If so, what will it be?

The station will include a retail space. The specific retailer is not known at this time, but will be determined closer to the completion of the station.

Are you working with the neighbouring developments so the station is integrated with the new buildings in the area?

Due to the specific site conditions and the existing guideway, integration with the neighbouring developments was impractical. That said, we’re working closely with the City of Richmond to support the integration with adjacent public lands and active transportation corridors.

Who did you seek input from on the design of the station?

We have worked closely with the City of Richmond to ensure the design of the station will meet the needs of our customers and Richmond residents.

With each new station we continue to leverage the attributes that our customers have told us they enjoy most, including up and down escalators, bright lighting, accessibility features, and other elements to ensure an optimum customer experience.

Has TransLink ever built a station in between two existing stations while operations continue?

Lake City Way Station was built after the Millennium Line opened, so this will be the second time that TransLink has built a station on one of our existing rapid transit lines.

Public Art at the Station

The Breath Below - by Howie Tsui (2023)

Spanning over 3600 square feet, The Breath Below is a graphic mosaic that captures the aquatic life and energy flowing within the Fraser River estuary. The artwork is made of over 3556 custom - made glazed glass and metallic tiles, onto which a graphic is applied using a one-of-a-kind stencilling method developed for this project. Created in honour of the area's ecological systems, the artwork draws from the natural phenomenon of the estuary to encourage viewers to consider and participate in the vibrant world below the water's surface. The underwater scene also serves as an allegory (a story with a hidden meaning) for Capstan Station’s role as a multi-modal transit hub and community node for the residents and visitors of Capstan Village.

An estuary is a rich converging point for aquatic life, the silt and sea, and fresh and saltwater. Pictured in this artwork is an estuary’s eelgrass meadow – a gathering place for an array of aquatic species, and a vital site of shelter for juvenile fish and other vulnerable creatures. The artwork intends to attune the viewer’s consciousness to the ecological life nearby, mirroring the dynamic human activity of the station and bringing the two worlds into simultaneous experience.

Using a compositional structure that resembles Chinese landscape painting, the artwork expands on tradition by bringing viewers into an underwater perspective. The central feature is the lyrical quality of swaying eelgrass. The artist has used a technique similar to calligraphic brushstrokes to transcend the static state of the forms and infuse them with currents of motion. This technique evokes a sense of chi, or vital spirit, within the picture's environment and subjects. The artwork's formal and philosophical aspects convey energies and harmony that are attributed to both Taoist and Buddhist principles, and may resonate with practitioners from the many nearby temples.

The estuary and eelgrass meadow setting of the artwork also recognizes and honours the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) community and name, meaning "the people of the river grass". With deep respect and appreciation for the Musqueam community for hosting the artwork on this site, the work is centred around the land and the life it supports. The region's settler communities are also acknowledged through the artwork's connection to the area's fishing history, which is responsible for sustaining many of the area's inhabitants.

Howie Tsui

Howie Tsui (b. 1978, Hong Kong) is a Vancouver - based interdisciplinary artist who constructs tense, fictive environments that undermine venerated art forms stemming from the Chinese literati tradition. He employs a stylized form of derisive and exaggerated imagery to satirize and disarm broadening hegemonic regimes. Tsui synthesizes diverging socio-cultural anxieties around superstition, trauma, surveillance, and otherness through a distinctly outsider lens to cast light onto liminal and diasporic experiences. Tsui’s works feature in prominent public collections, including the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and M+ in Hong Kong, among other institutions.

Artwork During Construction

The three pieces of public art below are projects commissioned by TransLink’s Public Art Program. In response to the development of Capstan Station, Richmond’s new vibrant transportation hub, three Richmond-based artists reflect on the question of “How can a transportation hub foster community?” We hope you enjoy the artwork as much as we do! A special thanks to the City of Richmond’s Public Art Program for introducing TransLink to these three talented artists.

Transporting by Dawn Lo

Transporting is a digital mural by artist Dawn Lo which imagines the future Capstan SkyTrain Station and its surrounding area. Once complete, Capstan Station will be an active transportation hub surrounded by extensive public spaces for people to enjoy through play, relaxation, and get-togethers. Illustrated as a series of activities emerging from portals, Lo envisions people jogging, biking, dog walking, dancing, reading, and making art. The vibrant colours and dynamic poses of the mural illustrate the energy and movement of the future site and amplify the bursts of playfulness and creativity of the different activities.

Dawn Lo is an illustrator whose work has appeared in picture books, stationery, greeting cards, public art installations, and more. Born in Hong Kong, she is currently based in Richmond, B.C.

@dawndawndawnillustration (Instagram)
dawndawndawnillustration.com

Passages by Laura Kwok

Passages is a vibrant depiction of the natural wonders, stunning local landmarks, and thriving transportation system that make Richmond a historic and cultural gem in the region. Artist Laura Kwok reflects on the rich transportation history of the city to celebrate the significant impact it has had in the evolution of Richmond and the wider region. A plane from the early 1900s is illustrated as a nod to the city’s rich aviation history – one which was instrumental to the progression of aviation in Western Canada in the 20th century. On the left of the mural, a historic Steveston fishing boat is depicted, and on the right a bicycle along the greenway. Representing the continually growing transportation system is a TransLink bus, SeaBus, and an animated SkyTrain zooming across the centre of the mural.

Well-known Richmond landmarks give the mural a sense of familiarity. From Garry Point Park and its cherry blossom trees and the historic houses at the Britannia Shipyards to the iconic Olympic Oval and Aberdeen Centre, and more, residents will recognize the beloved locations that make Richmond home. The artist also reflects on the local wildlife and botanicals, showcasing the diverse, natural beauty that makes Richmond the stunning and special place it is.

Laura Kwok is an artist and illustrator based in Richmond. Inspired by nature, wildlife and travel, her work recreates these themes in a colourful and imaginative style. She launched her stationery brand Art + Soul Creative Co. in 2016 and continues to design and illustrate for her own product line. Aside from working with clients and creating commercial work, Laura is passionate about pursuing her own large-scale art pieces and mural projects.

Want to participate a scavenger hunt of the local landmarks, animals and flowers found in this mural? Please see the PDF.

Find the artist here:
@artandsoulcreativeco (Instagram, Facebook)
LauraKwok.com

Connection by Jeni Chen

Connection is a digital mural by artist Jeni Chen visualizing the future Capstan SkyTrain Station and the many ways in which the new transportation hub will connect people and foster community. Once built, Capstan Station will be an important, active, multi-modal transportation hub surrounded by extensive public spaces for gathering, relaxing, celebrating and playing. In her work, Chen shows pods of people dancing, viewing art, playing sports, walking their dogs, and gathering against a backdrop of the Coast Mountains, Fraser River and the sky. Running through the artwork is a blue SkyTrain line symbolic of how the transportation system connects us in community and gives us access to recreation, culture, the arts, and moments of celebration.

Jeni Chen is an artist based in Richmond. She received a Fine Art certificate from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2018 and has produced several public art projects in British Columbia. As a mom and a teacher of community arts programs, Chen sees how brilliant and creative kids are. She wrote and illustrated a picture book called Emet’s Box to encourage children to explore their brilliance and creativity. Emet’s Box was published in 2022 by The Little Press.

Find the artist here:
@jenichenart (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
JeniChen.com