Exclusive Behind the Scenes (BTS) Tour of the Canadian Centre for Architecture

Step beyond the gallery walls and into the heart of architectural history with Exploring the vaults: Exclusive BTS Tour—a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). Designed exclusively for 2025 RAIC Conference delegates, this intimate 19-person tour grants you behind-the-scenes access to the vaults, archives, and research spaces—areas rarely seen by the public. 

Led by CCA Associate Director, Collection, Martien de Vletter, this deep dive into the CCA collection will reveal how documents that shaped the culture and production of architecture worldwide from the Renaissance through the present day are preserved. From rare blueprints, books, sketches, photographs to the inner workings of world-class research, this tour offers unparalleled insight into this rare repository of ideas, provocations, inspirations, and a deeper understanding of how the CCA interprets architectural history. 

Limited to just 19 spots—expected to sell out fast! 

$300 RAIC Members | $425 Non-Members

Date & Time: June 4, 2025 1pm-4pm EST

*Exclusive for Conference delegates with a Premier Pass, ConEd Pass or Day Pass only

Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity. Secure your spot now before it’s gone. 

Martien de Vletter joined the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in 2012 as Associate Director of Collection. Martien de Vletter is responsible for the acquisition strategy, descriptions of and access to the collection as well as collection management and care. De Vletter is invested in preservation and access to born-digital archives and currently works on projects related to Critical Cataloguing and Reparative Descriptions. She studied architecture history in Amsterdam, worked at the Netherlands Architecture Institute (1996 – 2008), as a Chief Curator for the last 5 years, and was publisher of SUN Architecture Publishers Amsterdam (2008-2012).  

Born-digital archives were one of the main areas of interest for the CCA since 2012 and Martien de Vletter developed with her team a strategy for acquiring born-digital archives, preserving often obsolete files and make the archives accessible for research. She published on this program (Don’t be afraid of the Digital, 2018). De Vletter also worked with Álvaro Siza, the Serralves and Gulbenkian Foundation since 2014 on a collaborative model of custodianship for the archive of Álvaro Siza. Since 2020, she has been focusing on how collection descriptions impact our understanding of historical material and their context. She regularly contributes to publications, university courses, committees, and symposia.