spencerjohn:
Vancouver Healing Lodge 31 West Pender (Opening June 11th)
This is going to be a really significant addition to the DTES. I’m really proud a former co-worker of mine was behind this! Actually, he’s VNHS president!
Here’s the background on the building’s heritage from the City of Vancouver administrative report from October 2010:
This building is primarily valued for its architecture and the history of ownership and use. Designed by the same talented architect who designed the World Building (Sun Tower) - W. T. Whiteway, this attractive building was made with high quality brick and the combination of steel columns and fire-resistant millwork floors. The principal facade is characterized by rich surface details, ornamented window surrounds and entablatures.
Built in 1913 for Storey and Campbell, owners of the Storey and Campbell Co., this residential building (aka Palmer Rooms) provided lodging on the upper floors, with retail at the ground level. It was conveniently located between the warehouse district and Chinatown, and within walking distance to the major transportation nodes. The building remained in the Storey family until 1946, when it was purchased by Lai Hing. Lai lived in this building and operated his hotel business under Wingate Hotel for about 30 years. Most recently, the building’s name was changed to Pender Hotel.
ps: Architect and concept illustration credit goes to Joe Y. Wai Architect Inc.
The Burnaby Mountain Centennial Pavilion, 100 Centennial Way, Burnaby. This was built for the 1958 centenary celebrations, if you haven’t deduced that already. At this point in time, SFU was merely a recommendation in a report entitled Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future, by Dr. J.B. Macdonald [source].
Update! I should add, I didn’t realize that Horizon’s Restaurant is now occupying the Centennial Pavilion! Furthermore, there was a fire at the restaurant in the spring of 2010, but the good news is, they were insured, and the restaurant has been rebuilt thanks in part to $300,000 of additional help from the City of Burnaby. It’s interesting to see how the building has been adapted over time. I’m glad I found this grand opening souvenir program!
From an article written by Eric Sommer in The Georgia Straight, published by the Vancouver Free Press, February 14-27, 1969. These sketches show something of a comeback for the Vancouver freeway Project 200 that never was. One ambitious firm thought they would try their hand at ‘hiding’ the freeway underground, or perhaps partially underground. Needless to say, I don’t believe this went anywhere, as it no doubt would have been vulnerable to enormous cost overruns while offering very little benefit to the city.
I’m sorry the pictures are such poor quality here. It would be nice to visit the UBC Archives to see the original article in person; perhaps one day I will get the chance. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
City Council will soon consider plans for a new Vancouver freeway that could almost be called a non-freeway.
The new concept is not an ugly concrete span scarring the city skyline; it is not a roaring thunderway through downtown Vancouver; it would not interfere with pedestrian traffic; and it would leave Chinatown intact.
The new concept is explained in a report commissioned by the National Harbors Board and prepared by the local engineering firm of Swan-Wooster and CBA. Although not due for presentation to City Council until early in March, the STRAIGHT has managed to obtain an advance copy of the report.
This report originated as an attempt to find a replacement for the great elevated freeway scheme that collapsed last year under tons of criticism from Vancouver residents. The defeated scheme would have cut a wide swath through Chinatown, introduced true multi-lane ugliness to Vancouver, and might well have initiated the Los Angelization of the city…
I recently posted the Project 200 brochure on flickr, the often discussed freeway and urban development that almost wiped out Chinatown. Gordon Price has mentioned it on many occasions; here in 2008 he agrees with John Atkin who states it was not only outspoken public opposition that ended the project; they also ran out of financing options, and the feds walked away with the money.
What I find most amusing about this photo is ironic juxtaposition between the iconic landmarks of the Woodward’s building, the Dominion Building, and the Marine Building, and the giant blocks of Lego architecture that look like badly designed hotels of the 70s. Never mind the fact that no one would have dared to imagine Woodward’s would no longer be in business some 30 years later…or that it would one day become the vibrant redevelopment that it is today. I’ll add another footnote to the story tomorrow.
Empire Pool at UBC illustrated by Paul Dwillies. Another page from the souvenir program for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, seen previously here, printed by Jey Studios Ltd in Vancouver. The booklet also featured illustrations by with lettering by Ed Harrison. BC150 Applied Arts virtual museum at Emily Carr University back in 2008.
The Vancouver Trust Company, an architectural drawing from an advertisement in the September 1910 issue of Man-to-Man Magazine Vol 6, no.9 (previously known as Westward Ho! Magazine and later renamed British Columbia Magazine). The advertisement announces their new address at 614 Pender Street, and promises that “A Trust Company Cannot Die or Abscond”. I guess not.
The building didn’t turn out precisely as illustrated, lacking the arts & crafts typography for one, as the period photograph from the magazine illustrates. Today, the classic lines of the building can just barely be made out, as seen in the Google streetview image. The building is located just next door to Malone’s Bar & Grill downtown.
Went End Housing Complex, Vancouver (1956) by Arthur Erickson. While this early utopian concept was never built, it foreshadows the repetitive array of towers along the seawall, all aiming to compete for the best view of the surrounding mountains.
An ink on paper drawing submitted by Louise Phillips dating back to November 30th, 2005. Louise writes:
I thought of this drawing today, a few years after it was made, but the map of Vancouver and my impression of Richmond remain true to the time of its making.
The drawing is in ink on the cover of an environmentally friendly notebook found on sale in a Steveston shop. I was newly arrived from Toronto and experiencing a strange kind of culture shock. Drawing and writing were a guarantee of sanity.
Perhaps it is timely in this year, 2012 - the Queen’s Jubilee Year, to look back at the past!
Thanks Louise!
Swing City, a utopian fantasy concept of a city, imagined by Roger Kemble, with P. Stephen Babiak and John R. Chislett as contributing assistants. From the October 1968 issue of Canadian Architect, pp 58-65. Presented here in post number 3 are 2 of the 4 full layouts from this article, with explanatory text to provide some context for these drawings.
Actually, I just realized this entire series of drawings can already be found online, along with a 1600 word essay to accompany the article, posted on Roger Kemble’s own personal webpage. Roger has also indulged in a few more of his architectural fantasies, including a some conceptual sketches showing what he would have liked to do with the North Shore of False Creek, given half a chance. He also shows one of his more recent award winning projects, the Vivo Gallery Residences in Nanaimo, recipient of the 2008 City of Nanaimo Design Award for a multi-purpose development. For more on Roger’s work, see this 2002 article in this Heritage Vancouver newsletter.
And incidentally, Roger’s own daughter is now an architect. According to the about page at Architrave.ca, she funded her University studies in Art, Art History and Architecture working as a model builder and draftsman for Arthur Erickson Architects and in her father’s firm Roger Kemble Architects in Vancouver.
I was impressed to see Swing City referenced in this U of T history of architecture course back in 2007: ARC 3033: Manifesto and Ethos through Postwar Architecture History in Canada. I wish I could have heard the professor discuss this work in class! I should also mention that this entire magazine article was originally printed on a special blue paper, a fitting tribute to blue sky thinking.
It was purely coincidental that I posted this series of drawings the very same week the City of Vancouver announced it was seeking a new director of planning. Will Swing City make a comeback and gain the approval of the next director of planning? Or will we dare to dream up even more fantastical plans for our fair city in the years to come? Time will tell…
ps: I also just learned that the domain SwingCouver.com is taken - it’s dance conference that just took place here last month! Have no fear, however; looks like they host an event once a year! Check out their videos from last year for some fancy footwork!
Swing City, a utopian fantasy concept of a city, imagined by Roger Kemble, with P. Stephen Babiak and John R. Chislett as contributing assistants. From the October 1968 issue of Canadian Architect, pp 58-65. Presented here are a couple closer detailed cross sections of the concept, post number 2.
Think back to 1968 if you will, and imagine a city filled with ambition, idealism, and poised to begin an explosion of vertical construction. It was the year Vancouver’s International Airport terminal opened, the Pacific Coliseum, as well as the Centennial Museum and H. R. MacMillan Planetarium, and Arthur Erickson’s MacMillan Bloedel Building too. SkyTrain was still almost 2 decades away, but the second drawing prominently features a monorail system, an integral transportation choice in a city which seems to have left the traditional street behind. This plan radically challenges all prior conventions, seeking extremely modern and modular solutions. It seems obsessed with scalability, and not so concerned with feasibility or sustainability. Would these ideals allow uninhibited human achievement, or would it transform the city into the Borg? A final post will include some of the explanatory text that accompanied these drawings.
Swing City, a utopian fantasy concept of a city, imagined by Roger Kemble, with P. Stephen Babiak and John R. Chislett as contributing assistants. From the October 1968 issue of Canadian Architect, pp 58-65. Presented here are a couple long range landscape sketches of the project.
From a distance, it almost looks like something out of District 9! In future posts, I’d like to show more detailed cross sections of this fantastical concept, followed by a final post with explanatory text. It’s certainly one of the most surreal concepts I’ve seen for the city, and yet, there’s more than meets the eye with this particular project!
Proposed pagoda for Pender Street, from the October 1968 issue of Canadian Architect. In a 1969 article from the Calgary Herald, ‘Corny’ Architecture Rapped at Meeting, it mentions that Vancouver is importing a genuine pagoda from the Orient, to be used as a pagoda; I presume this is the pagoda they are are referring to. Instead of the extravagant pagoda seen here, the city would eventually get the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, which was built in 1985 and completed just in time for Expo 86. I for one am glad we got the garden over the pagoda; in this particular location, the pagoda seems clearly out of proportion to the street and surrounding buildings. One final detail to note; as you can see in the second photograph, Pender Street was once a one-way street heading west at this junction.
![The Burnaby Mountain Centennial Pavilion, 100 Centennial Way, Burnaby. This was built for the 1958 centenary celebrations, if you haven’t deduced that already. At this point in time, SFU was merely a recommendation in a report entitled Higher Education in British Columbia and a Plan for the Future, by Dr. J.B. Macdonald [source].
Update! I should add, I didn’t realize that Horizon’s Restaurant is now occupying the Centennial Pavilion! Furthermore, there was a fire at the restaurant in the spring of 2010, but the good news is, they were insured, and the restaurant has been rebuilt thanks in part to $300,000 of additional help from the City of Burnaby. It’s interesting to see how the building has been adapted over time. I’m glad I found this grand opening souvenir program!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2fwalcMgw1qc7pjjo1_r1_1280.jpg)
