Vancouver Voyager: The New Year is here

Monday, January 3, 2011

The New Year is here

Do you realize that we are more than ten years into the new century? I still remember when we were waiting for the year 2000 and how doomsayers were saying it was the end of the world and all the computers were supposed to go haywire.

I hope you all had a good week. I didn't get the writing done I wanted to but I did get a lot of relaxing and reading in so it was worthwhile.

This first building I am going to show you is not that old. In fact the architect firm of Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership designed and had it built during 1991 and 1992.

The BC Hydro building at 333 Dunsmuir Street may not be that old but I think you will admit that it is pretty impressive looking.

The building is 19 stories and reaches 265 feet (or 81 meters) at its maximum height.

If you have an opportunity to visit this address, take a moment to look around. Treasures are everywhere.

Right beside this steel and glass structure that is so citified there is an oasis that offers a touch of nature in the middle of the concrete.

It was sunny yet a bit chilly today but I could have spent a lot longer just wandering around this haven of greenery.

I took a little walk north of Dunsmuir and took a moment to look at a couple of buildings on West Pender.

This nine storey building, the British Columbia Securities Building, consists of brick, stone and glazed terra cotta.The design is Edwardian era with Classical Revival ornamentation.
(According to the fact sheet I am getting my information from the British Columbia Securities Building was designed in the Chicago School style with tripartite facade articulation of a base, shaft and capital. Sounds fancy doesn`t it?)

Built in 1911 to 1912 this building is a striking example of the work of respected architect Henry Sandham Griffith (1865-1943). Griffith was born in England and came to British Columbia in 1907. He established offices in both Vancouver and Victoria during the western boom years.