Opened as "Stadium" in 1985 as part of the original SkyTrain system (now known as the Expo Line), the station was designed by Austrian architecture firm Architektengruppe U-Bahn. The station's original name was based on its proximity to BC Place Stadium. Both the station and the stadium were vital to Vancouver's Expo 86. The "Chinatown" portion of the station's name was added in 2004, because local merchants and politicians wished to promote the historical and cultural significance of Vancouver's Chinatown district, located just one block away from the station.