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Vancouver Art Gallery (British Columbia, Canada)

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Vancouver Art Gallery

The 15,300 sq. m. (165,000 sq. ft.) Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG), the largest art museum, by building size, in Western Canada, serves as a repository of art for the Lower Mainland region. Its permanent collection consists of approximately 12,000 works (as of December 2018) by artists from Canada and around the world. Aside from exhibiting works from its collection, the museum has also organized and hosted a number of travelling arts exhibitions.The gallery connects to the rest of Robson Square via an underground passage below Robson Street.

“Uninvited – Canadian Women in the Modern Moment” Exhibit

Here is the historical timeline of the museum:

  • In April 1931, in order to establish and maintain a museum for the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Art Gallery Association was established under the provincial Society Act.
  • On October 5, 1931, the Association opened the art museum to the public in a building, designed by architectural firm Sharp and Johnston and costing approximately CA$40,000 to construct, at 1145 West Georgia Street. It featured four galleries (one of which included a sculpture hall), a lecture hall and a library. At the time of its opening, works exhibited at the museum were dominated by British, and other European artists.
  • In 1938, during a sitdown strike in the weeks leading up to Bloody Sunday, the museum was the one of the buildings occupied by unemployed protesters. Luckily, paintings were not damaged while the protesters occupied the building.
  • In 1950, the museum expanded its first building.To reshape the design of the building towards an International Style of architecture, the building’s Art Deco façade was removed. To accommodate the 157 works bequeathed to the museum by Emily Carr, renovations, costing approximately CA$600,000 (funded by the City of Vancouver government, and funds raised by Lawren Harris) were also conducted
  • In 1951, the building was reopened to the public.
  • In 1983, the institution was relocated to its present location, the former provincial courthouse adjacent to Robson Square in downtown Vancouver.It was renovated by architect Arthur Erickson, at a cost of CA$20 million, as a part of his larger three city-block Robson Square The Annex Building was the only part of the building complex that was not converted for museum use.
  • In 2004, a result from its need for more exhibition and storage space for its collections, plans to build a new building for the museum were undertaken.
  • In November 2007, the museum publicly announced plans to move, seeking approval from Vancouver City Council to build a new building at Larwill Park, a block formerly occupied by a bus depot on the corner of Cambie and Georgia streets.
  • In May 2008, the museum and the City of Vancouver government announced its intention to relocate to an area occupied by the Plaza of Nations.
  • In April 2013, the Vancouver City Council later reversed its decision, opting to approve the original proposed site in Larwill Park.
  • In September 2013, the museum formally issued requests for qualifications to construct the new building, receiving responses from 75 architectural firms from 16 countries.
  • In April 2014, the bid of Herzog & de Meuron (the first project for the architectural firm in the country) was selected by the museum.  Perkins and Will‘s Vancouver branch was contracted as the project’s executive architects. The cost to construct the building has been estimated to be CA$330 million, with the federal and provincial governments expected to provide CA$200 million, and the museum expected to raise the rest from public and private donors.  The building was originally planned to be completed in 2020. However, developments for the project stalled due to a funding dispute between the federal and provincial governments.
  • In November 2021, to help fund the new building, the museum received a $100 million donation (the largest cash donation to a public art museum in Canadian history) from Michael Audain.
  • As of November 2021, the museum still needed to raise another $160 million to fund the project.

“The Imitation Game” Exhibit

The former provincial courthouse building, designed by Francis Rattenbury, after winning a design competition in 1905, was opened as a provincial courthouse in 1911, and operated as such until 1979 when the provincial courts moved to the Law Courts south of the building.  In 1980, the building was was designated as the Former Vancouver Law Courts National Historic Site of Canada. Both the main and annex portions of the building are also designated “A” heritage structures by the municipal government.

Check out “Former Victoria Law Courts Building”

“Kids Take Over” Exhibit

It continues to be owned by the Government of British Columbia, although the museum occupies the building through a 99-year sublease signed with the City of Vancouver government in 1974 who, in turn, leases the building from the provincial government. The museum’s permanent collection is formally owned by the City of Vancouver, with the museum acting as the custodians for the collection under a lease and license agreement. Should the museum secure its relocation to its proposed site at Larwill Park, the museum would occupy the building under similar arrangements as the former courthouse, with the museum leasing the property from the City of Vancouver.

“Everything Under The Sun: In Memory of Andrew Gruft” Exhibit

The Vancouver Art Gallery has organized and hosted a number of temporary and travelling exhibitions. A select list of exhibitions held at the museum since 2005 include:

  • Brian Jungen (2006)
  • Monet to Dali: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art (2007)
  • KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art (2008)
  • Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art Masterpieces from The Rijksmuseum (2009)
  • Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man (2010)
  • The Color of My Dreams: The Surrealist Revolution in Art (2011)
  • Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore (2012)
  • Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture (2012)
  • Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life (2013)
  • Charles Edenshaw (2013)
  • The Forbidden City: Inside the Court of China’s Emperors (2014)
  • Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Contemporary Art (2014)
  • Cezanne and the Modern: Masterpieces of European Art from the Pearlman Collection (2015)
  • How Do I Fit This Ghost in My Mouth? An exhibition by Geoffrey Farmer (2015)
  • Embracing Canada: Landscapes from Krieghoff to the Group of Seven (2015)
  • Douglas Coupland: Everywhere Is Anywhere Is Anything Is Everything (2015)
  • MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture (2016)
  • Picasso: The Artist and His Muses (2016)
  • Claude Monet’s Secret Garden (2017)
  • Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats its Own Leg (2018)
  • French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950 (2019)
  • Alberto Giacometti: A Line Through Time (2019)
  • Cindy Sherman (2020)
  • Growing Freedom: The instructions of Yoko Ono/ The art of John and Yoko (2022)

“Restless: Recent Acquisitions” Exhibit

During our visit, there were five ongoing exhibits – “Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment” Exhibit in the ground floor; “The Imitation Game: Visual Culture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” Exhibit at the second floor; and “Kids Take Over” Exhibit, “Everything Under the Sun: In Memory of Andrew Gruft” Exhibit and “Restless: Recent Acquisitions” Exhibit at the third floor.

Check out “Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment” Exhibit, “The Imitation Game: Visual Culture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” Exhibit, “Kids Take Over” Exhibit, “Everything Under the Sun: In Memory of Andrew Gruft” Exhibit and “Restless: Recent Acquisitions” Exhibit“

Self-Portrait of Emily Carr (1938-39, oil on wove paper)

The Centennial Fountain, on the Georgia Street side of the building, was installed in 1966 to commemorate the centennial of the union of the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.  In 2017, it was later removed as part of the Georgia Street plaza renovations.

Are You Talking to Me

The Neo-Classical-style building, replacing the previous courthouse at Victory Square, wasconstructed using marble imported from Alaska, Tennessee and Vermont.  It has Ionic columns, a central dome, formal porticos and ornate stonework. Construction for the building, which contained 18 courtrooms, began in 1906. In 1912, an annex, designed by Thomas Hooper, was added to the western side of the building. Declared as a heritage site, it still retains the original judges’ benches and walls as they were when the building was a courthouse.

Clear Cut to the Last Tree (Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, screenprint on paper)

The front lawn and steps of the building has hosted a number of public gatherings and protest rallies, serving as the monthly meeting spot for Vancouver’s Critical Mass, as well as flash mobs, the Zombie Walk, pro-marijuana rallies and numerous environmental demonstrations. The steps on both the Robson Street and Georgia Street sides of the building are also popular gathering spots for protest rallies. In the summertime, the Georgia Street side is also a popular place for people to relax or socialize.

Amauti (Anne Maria Kigerlerk, 1937)

In March 2007, the 2010 Olympic countdown clock, placed in the front lawn of the building, was  opened for free for the public to see. Now disassembled, one half of the clock went to BC Place and the other to Whistler Village.In June 2021, Cheryle Gunargie created a vigil(consisting of 215 pairs of shoes) to honor the 215 children whose remains were discovered in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Caffeinated Diversions (Scott Eaton, 2018-19, inkjet print on paper) (1)

The permanent collection acts as the principal repository of works produced in the Lower Mainland region, with museum acquisitions typically focused on historical and contemporary art from the region. Approximately half of the works in its collection were produced by artists from Western Canada. In addition to art from the region, the collection also has a focus on First Nations art, and art from Asia. The museum’s collection is organized into several smaller areas, contemporary art from Asia, photography and conceptual photography, works by indigenous Canadian artists from the region, and artists from Vancouver and British Columbia.

Baskets (Panier)

The museum’s photography and conceptual art collection includes photographs from the 1950s to the present, and includes photos by the N.E. Thing Co. artist collective, photographers of the Vancouver School of conceptual photography, and other artists including Dan Graham, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, Cindy Sherman, Robert Smithson, and Thomas Struth. The museum’s collection of contemporary Asian art includes works by Eikoh Hosoe, Mariko Mori, Fiona Tan, Jin-me Yoon, Reena Saini Kallat, Song Dong, Wang Du, Wang Jianwei, Yang Fudong, and O Zhang.

Children Playing (Thomas Kakinuma, ca. 1960)

Serving as a repository for art for the region, the museum holds a number of works by artists based in the Lower Mainland, in addition to artists based in other regions of British Columbia. The museum’s collection includes works from Canadian artists, including members of the Group of Seven, Gathie Falk, Michael Snow, and Joyce Wieland.

Kitwancool Totems (Emily Carr, 1928, oil on canvas)

The museum’s collection also features a significant number of works by Emily Carr, dating from 1913 to 1942. The painting Totem Poles, Kitseukla, by Carr, was among the original set of works acquired for the museum’s collection prior to opening in 1931. The permanent collections of the Vancouver Art Gallery, along with the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, hold the largest number of works by Carr of any collection in the world.

Patriotism (Joyce Wieland, 1967, vinyl, textile,photograph, paper, cotton, wood, thread)

The museum’s also features a collection of indigenous Canadian art from the region, including works from Haida, Heiltsuk, Inuit, Kwakwakaʼwakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Nuxalk, and Tlingit artists. Regular acquisitions of indigenous Canadian works was undertaken by the museum beginning in the 1980s; with the museum’s practices prior to the 1980s typically leaving the acquisition of indigenous Canadian works for the collections of ethnographic, or history museums.

A Descent of Lilies (Pegi Nicoll MacLeod, 1935, oil on canvas)

In 2015, George Gund III bequeathed to the museum 37 First Nations works, including totem poles by Ken Mowatt and Norman Tait, drawings by Bill Reid, and thirteen carved works by Robert Davidson. Other works in the museum’s indigenous Canadian collection includes works by Sonny Assu, Rebecca Belmore, Dempsey Bob, Dana Claxton, Joe David, Reg Davidson, Beau Dick, Brian Jungen, Marianne Nicolson, and Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun.

Actual Photo Series (Laurie Simmons and Allan McCollum, 1985, azo dye prints)

The Vancouver Art Gallery Library and Archives is a non-circulating library that specializing in modern, contemporary and Canadian art. Its holdings include more than 50,000 books and exhibition catalogues, 30 journal subscriptions, 5,000 files that document various artists, art forms, and works. Access to the museum’s library and archives require a scheduled appointment.

Sea and Shore (Florence Wyle, ca. 1950, marble)

The museum’s archives contain the institution’s official records since its founding in 1931. In addition to institutional documents, the archives also includes files from B.C. Binning, and the books and serials where Bill Bissett’s concrete poetry was published.

In a Food Court (Evan Lee, 2019, oil pigment, pastel on canvas) (1)

The Vancouver Art Gallery offers a wide range of public programs throughout the year, including live performances marketed under the FUSE program, scholar’s lectures, artist’s talks, as well as dance and musical performances. In its most recent year, the gallery has featured over 60 presenters, including historian Timothy Brook, writer Sarah Milroy, and Emily Carr scholar, Gerta Moray. In May 2015, the gallery welcomed architect Jacques Herzog as he presented his first lecture in Canada on architecture and the new Vancouver Art Gallery building.

Neri Oxman and the MIT Mediated Matter Group

Vancouver Art Gallery: 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 2H7, Canada.    Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM, Tuesdays and Fridays, 12 noon to 8 PM. Admission: $24.00 (adults), $20.00 (seniors), $18 (students), $6.50 (children, 6 – 12 years old) and free (children 5 years old and under).  Tuesdays, from 5 – 9 PM are “donation nights” (pay whatever you want or can afford). Coordinates: 49.282875°N 123.120464°W.

 

Former Vancouver Law Courts Building (British Columbia, Canada)

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Former Vancouver Law Courts Building

The three-storey, grand Former Vancouver Law Courts Building, situated on a city block bounded by Georgia, Howe, Hornby and Robson Streets, is a good example of Neo-Classical design in the Beaux-Art tradition, widely promoted for public buildings in North America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Replacing the previous courthouse at Victory Square, it was designed by noted Victoria architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury (responsible for many prominent public buildings in British Columbia including the Legislative Building in Victoria), after winning a design competition in 1905.  Construction began in 1906 and the provincial courthouse,containing 18 courtrooms,was opened in the fall of 1911, at which time it was praised as the finest building of its kind in Canada.

Check out “”Legislative Assembly of British Columbia”

By 1914, the city had outgrown the original building and a large new wing, connected to the main building by an enclosed two-storey corridor, was added to the western side of the building according to the 1912 designs of Thomas Hooper. It operated as such until 1979 when it was decided that the building could no longer accommodate the needs of the court and the decision was made to construct new facilities.

Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson was commissioned to design the new Law Courts House,located across the street south of the building,and to convert the former Court House into the Vancouver Art Gallery.In 1980, the building was designated as the Former Vancouver Law Courts National Historic Site of Canada.

Entrance to Vancouver Art Gallery

Both the main and annex portions of the building are also designated “A” heritage structures by the municipal government. As a heritage site, it still retains the original judges’ benches and walls as they were when the building was a courthouse.

The massive staircase

The building continues to be owned by the Government of British Columbia, although the Vancouver Art Gallery occupies the building through a 99-year sublease signed with the City of Vancouver government in 1974 who, in turn, leases the building from the provincial government.

Check out “Vancouver Art Gallery“

One of two granite guardian lions

The building consists of three parts with two wings on west and east facades faced with inset Ionic columns flanking a massive projecting central pediment. The latter features an imposing formal portico supported by four columns and surmounted by a flat roof and a copper-clad central dome(with four semicircular occuli) on an elevated base.

On the north and south facades are granite pilasters. Rusticated Nelson Island granite cladding was used for the base section and smooth Haddington Island stone cladding for upper levels.Marble was imported from Alaska, Tennessee and Vermont.

Throughout the facade are decorative stone and plaster scrollwork with acanthus leaf, garland and wreath motifs and stone balustrades along the roof line.Some of the recessed and symmetrical fenestration have protruding granite sills and canopies.Cast iron grates are found above the foundation. Also on the west and east facades are massive granite stair entrances. The twin, ca. 1910 granite lions, on pedestals, symbolize British justice.

Rotunda

 

The original interior layout features a twinned, marble clad staircase with ornamental wrought iron balustrades; a central rotunda, beneath the dome on the mezzanine level, with a series of two-storey arcades; terrazzo flooring in fan and Greek key motif;tapered marble columns on the mezzanine level;plaster egg and dart,garland and wreath motifs on the ceilings, cornices and walls; British Columbia fir and oak for the paneling,cornices, wainscoting and architraves; and British Columbia and Alaskan marble for foyer, floors, baseboards, vestibule halls, stairs and risers.

Marble staircase

Original signs identifying “OFFICES,” “LAND REGISTRY,” “POLICE” (with accompanying “Sheriff” signage) are still incised into offices on the north and south first floor level.

The front lawn and steps of the building has hosted a number of public gatherings and protest rallies, serving as the monthly meeting spot for Vancouver’s Critical Mass, as well as flash mobs, the Zombie Walk, pro-marijuana rallies and numerous environmental demonstrations.

Dome and oculus

The steps on both the Robson Street and Georgia Street sides of the building are also popular gathering spots for protest rallies. In the summertime, the Georgia Street side is also a popular place for people to relax or socialize.

Former Vancouver Law Courts Building: 800 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6z 2E1, Canada.

Sculpture Garden (Seattle Center, Washington, USA)

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The Seattle Center landscape is dotted with art and architectural works that together form urban vistas of mixed form and scale. The Sculpture Garden, at Broad Street Green, a nearly three-acre open space, is framed by the retro-futuristic backdrop of the Space Needle and the post-modern Experience Music Project building.  It is made up of four unique pieces.

Check out “Space Needle“

Sculpture Garden

Ronald Bladen’s Black Lightning  (1981), a striking, black-painted monumental steel sculpture, is currently sited in the Sculpture Garden southeast of the Space Needle. Measuring 355.6 x 1706.9 x 1120.1 cms. (140 x 672 x 441 in.), it’s simple Z-shape outlines the iconic form of lightning and sharp edges, formed from the juncture of acute angles, animate the black steel bolt with alternating planes of light and shadow. Two polygonal bases, reminiscent of blacksmith’s anvils, support the sculpture.

Black Lightning (Ronald Bladen, 1981, painted steel)

The Alexander Liberman‘s Olympic Iliad (also known as Pasta Tube), a 1984 orange-red painted steel sculpture consisting of large steel cylinders cut at different angles and lengths, is installed in 1984 on the lawn southwest from the Space Needle. It was featured on the cover of Brazilian musician Amon Tobin‘s album Bricolage.

Olympic Iliad (Alexander Liberman, 1984, painted steel)

Doris Chase’s Moon Gates, a group of three bronze sculptures, from 9′ to 17′ tall, that play with oppositions inspired by space and form, was installed in 1999 and is located in the Sculpture Garden just south of the Space Needle. In the artwork, two sculptures (one rhomboid and one ovoid), with convex surfaces, are each pierced by a circular hole. The third sculpture’s concave surface also contains a round void at its center but its missing piece can be found attached to the top of the sculpture on a bearing that rotates. A gift to the city of Seattle by Seattle Center Foundation, Chase’s Moon Gates was selected, with Alexander Liberman’s relocated Olympic Iliad, as the completing piece for the garden.

Moon Gates (Doris Chase, 1999, bronze)

Moses, a black-painted, mild steel sculpture by American Tony Smith (1912-1980, is located just northeast of the base of the Space Needle.  Fabricated in 1969 and measuring 460 x 350 x 223.5 cms. (181 1/8 x 137 13/16 x 88 in.), it has been on the Center’s grounds since 1975.  The abstract sculpture, weighing 5,500 lbs., is a geometrical abstract composition consisting of connected solid black steel volumes. It is the first major art acquisition under the city’s 1% for Art program.

Moses (Tony Smith, 1975, painted steel)

Sculpture Garden:  Broad Street Green, Broad and John Street, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington

Space Needle (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.)

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Seattle’s Space Needle

From Pike Place, Val drove Danny and I to the Seattle Center, home to Chihuly Garden and Glass, Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) and the Space Needle in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood.  It had already stopped raining when we arrived and the sun was again shining.  We didn’t have time to explore the first two but Danny and I were excited to go up the open-air observation deck of the Space Needle 160 m.(520 ft.) above ground, our first time to do so.  Val had done this a couple of times, so he just offered to wait for us till we returned.

Check out “Pike Place”

The author (right) with friend Val Salgado with the Space Needle in the background

This observation tower, a designated a Seattle landmark, is considered to be an icon of the city.  Unlike many other similar structures (such as the CN Tower in Toronto), the Space Needle is not used for broadcasting purposes.The Space Needle was, upon completion by Howard S. Wright Construction Co., the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River, replacing the Smith Tower in downtown Seattle as the tallest building west of the Mississippi since 1914.Today, it is dwarfed by other structures along the Seattle skyline, among them the 295 m. (967 ft.) high Columbia Center.

The author and Danny Macaventa

The Space Needle is 184 m.(605 ft.) high, 42 m.(138 ft.) wide and weighs 8,660 metric tons (9,550 short tons).  It was built to withstand wind speeds of up to 320 kms./hr. (200 mph), double the requirements in the building code of 1962. As the Space Needle sways only 25 mm.(1 in.) per 16 kms./hr.(10 mph) of wind speed, it can also be made to withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds.

The architecture of the Space Needle is the result of a compromise between the designs of local architect John Graham‘s concept of a flying saucer (the halo that houses the restaurant and observation deck)and the sketch (on a napkin) of Edward E. Carlson (president of a hotel company and chairman of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle)which depicted a giant balloon tethered to the ground (the gently sloping base). The hourglass profile of the tower was introduced by Victor Steinbrueck.

Carlson,inspired by a recent visit to the Stuttgart Tower of Germany, also had an idea for erecting a tower with a restaurant at the World’s Fair. As a result of his success in designing Northgate Mall, architect John Graham soon became involved, altering the restaurant’s original design to a revolving restaurant, similar to his previous design of the La Ronde tower restaurant at the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Hawaii.From April 1, 1962, to April 1, 1982, the revolving restaurant was operated by Western International Hotels, of which Carlson was President, under a 20-year contract.

Built for the 1962 World’s Fair(which drew over 2.3 million visitors, with 20,000 people a day riding the elevators to the Observation Deck during the course of the Fair), the construction of the Space Needle was privately financed and built by the Pentagram Corporation (consisting of Bagley Wright, contractor Howard S. Wright, architect John Graham, Ned Skinner, and Norton Clapp).

With time an issue, the construction team worked around the clockand the Space Needle was finished in less than one year. The Space Needle had to withstand earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude (as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake) so its earthquake stability was ensured when a hole was dug 9.1 m.(30 ft.) deep and 37 m.(120 ft.) across, and 467 concrete trucks took one full day to fill it. The foundation weighs 5,310 metric tons (5,850 short tons), including 230 metric tons (250 short tons) or of reinforcing steel, the same as the above-ground structure. The structure is bolted to the foundation with 72 bolts, each one 9.1 m.(30 ft.) long.

A scaled model of the Space Needle at the Building the Marvel” Exhibit

The domed top, housing the top five levels (including the restaurants and observation deck), was perfectly balanced so that the restaurant could rotate with the help of one tiny electric motor, originally 0.8 KW (1.1 HP), later replaced with a 1.1 KW (1.5 HP) motor. A grand spiral entryway(shown in a 1962 Seattle World’s Fair poster), with 848 steps from the basement to the top of the observation deck leading to the elevator, was ultimately omitted from final building plans. For paint colors, Orbital Olive was used for the body, Astronaut White for the legs, Re-entry Red for the saucer and Galaxy Gold for the roof.

During the World’s Fair, an imitation carillon (using recordings of bells, rather than live bells),built by the Schulmerich Bells Company of Hatfield, Pennsylvania under the name “Carillon Americana,” was installed in the Space Needle and played several times a day. The instrument, recreating the sounds of 538 bells, was the largest in the world until it was eclipsed by a 732 bell instrument at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

Another scaled model of the Space Needle at the ground floor Gift Shop

The operator’s console, located in the base of the Space Needle, was completely enclosed in glass to allow observation of the musician playing the instrument. Also capable of being played from a roll, like a player piano, the 44 stentors (speakers) of the carillon were located underneath the Needle’s disc at the 61 m.(200-ft.) level, and were audible over the entire fairgrounds and up to 16 kms. (10 mi.) away. After the fair’s close, the carillon was disassembled.  The “Carillon Americana,” featured on a 12-track LP record (called “Bells On High-Fi,” catalog number AR-8, produced by Americana Records, of Sellersville, Pennsylvania), was recorded in a studio and performed by noted carillonneur John Klein (1915-1981).

Here is the historical timeline of the Space Needle:

  • In 1961, investors discovered and bought (for $75,000) a suitable lot, measuring 37 by 37 m. (120 by 120 ft.), containing switching equipment for the fire and police alarm systems, for the proposed Space Needle site (it had no pre-selected site since it was not financed by the city and land had to be purchased within the fairgrounds).
  • In April 1962, the Space Needle was completed at a cost of $4.5 million.
  • On April 21, 1962, the last elevator car was installed the day before the Fair opened.
  • In 1963, a radio broadcast studio was built, used for morning broadcasts by Radio KING and its sister TV station KING-TV from July 1963 to May 1966, and KIRO Radio from 1966 to 1974, on the observation level of the Space Needle.
  • On March 27, 1964, as a result of the 9.2 earthquake in Alaska, the restaurant atop the Space Needle stopped rotating.
  • For six months in 1974, disc jockey Bobby Wooten of country music station KAYO-AM lived in an apartment built adjacent to the Space Needle’s broadcast studio, requiring a permit variance from the city government.
  • On March 4, 1974, Paul D. Baker committed suicide by jumping from the Space Needle, the first person to do so.
  • On May 25, 1974, Mary Lucille Wolf also jumped from the tower.
  • In 1977,Bagley Wright, Ned Skinner and Norton Clapp sold their interest to Howard S. Wright who now controls it under the name of Space Needle Corporation.
  • On July 5, 1978, in spite of the installation netting beneath and improved fencing around the observation deck, Dixie Reeder was able to commit suicide.
  • In 1982, the SkyLine level was added at the height of 30 m.(100 ft.).
  • In 1992, the University of Washington (UW) Huskies football team logo was painted at the tower after the team won the 1992 Rose Bowl.
  • In 1993, the elevators were replaced with new computerized versions that descend at a rate of 16 kms./hr. (10 mph).
  • In 1995, when the game show Wheel of Fortune taped episodes in Seattle, it was painted to resemble the titular wheel as part of an intro sequence with Vanna White.
  • On April 19, 1999, the city’s Landmarks Preservation Board designated the tower a historic landmark.
  • On December 31, 1999, the Legacy Light or Skybeam, a powerful beam of light, was unveiled for the first time.
  • Between 1999 and 2000, renovations included the SkyCity restaurant, SpaceBase retail store, Skybeam installation, Observation Deck overhaul, lighting additions and repainting.
  • In 2000, renovations were completed at a cost ($21 million) approximately the same in inflated dollars as the original construction price.
  • In 2000, the Space Needle Restaurant (originally named Eye of the Needle) and the Emerald Suite, the two restaurants 150 m.(500 ft.) above the ground at the hovering disk of the Space Needle, were closed to make way for SkyCity, a larger restaurant that features Pacific Northwest cuisine.
  • In 2000, because of perceived terror threats against the structure after investigations into the foiled millennium bombing plots, public celebrations were canceled but the fireworks show was still performed.
  • In 2001, the 6.8 Mw Nisqually earthquake jolted the Space Needle enough for water to slosh out of the toilets in the restrooms.
  • From September 11, 2001, to September 22, 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks, the Legacy Light (or Skybeam) remain lit for eleven days in a row.
  • In 2002, to promote tourism, a real estate consultant in Bellevue proposed the construction of five smaller replicas of the Space Needle around the city though official plans to build the proposed structures have not yet materialized.
  • On May 19, 2007, the Space Needle welcomed its 45 millionth visitor, Greg Novoa from California, who received a free trip for two to Paris.
  • In May 2008, since the opening of the 1962 World’s Fair, the Space Needle received its first professional deep cleaning by being pressure washed by Kärcher with water at a pressure of almost 2,611 psi (18,000 kPa) and a temperature of approximately 194 °F (90 °C). In consideration of the Seattle Center and the nearby Experience Music Project, no detergents were used and the cleaning was only done at night so that the Space Needle could stay open to the public.
  • In April 2012, as part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Needle was painted “Galaxy Gold”, which is more of an orangish color in practice. This is the same color used when the needle was originally constructed for the 1962 World’s Fair. This temporary makeover was only intended to last through the summer.
  • In the summer of 2017, a renovation of the top of the Space Needle, called the Century Project,began. An all-glass floor was added to the restaurant, the observation platform windows were replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass panels (to more closely match the 1962 original concept sketches) and the internal systems were upgraded and updated. The work, tocost $100 million in private funds provided by the Wright family (owners of the Space Needle),was scheduled to finish by June 2018. The designer is Olson Kundig Architects and the general contractor is Hoffman Construction Company. The rotating restaurant’s motor was replaced, the elevator capacity was increased by adding elevators or double-stacking them and,with the aim of achieving LEED Gold Certification, the energy efficiency of the building was improved. The temporary scaffold’s 13,000 kg.(28,000 lbs.), 4,148 sq. m. (4,650-sq. ft.) platform under the top structure, made by Safway Services (a company specializing in unique construction scaffolding),was assembled on the ground, and then lifted by cables 150 m.(500 ft.) from the ground to the underside of the structure, controlled by 12 operators standing on the platform as it was raised. So that the Space Needle was never completely shut down to the public, only one-sixth of the observation deck was closed at a time.
  • In August 2018, the Space Needle reopened as the Loupe, an indoor observation deck with a revolving glass floor that takes 45 mins. to do a full rotation. Two sets of stairs called the Oculus Stairs,named after the glass oculus at the base of the stairs where the Space Needle elevators can be seen ascending and descending,were added to connect the two new additional levels. A café, wine bar, more restrooms, and an additional accessibility elevator to the top observation deck were also added.
  • In 2020, the fireworks display was canceled because of high winds, with a laser light show being used at midnight instead.
  • In 2021, the fireworks show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced by a broadcast-only augmented realitypresentation on KING-TV.

 

The queue at the Mezzanine Level

The Space Needle, a visual symbol of Seattle and of the Pacific Northwest, has made numerous appearances in films (It Happened at the World’s Fair in 1962, The Parallax View in 1974, Sleepless in Seattle in 1993,Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999,  Chronicle in 2012), TV shows (Frasier, Grey’s Anatomy, Dark Angel, Bill Nye the Science Guy, etc.), and other works of fiction, often being used in establishing shots as an economical means to tell the audience the setting is Seattle, and has been incorporated into the logos of NBA, WNBA, MLS, and NHL professional sports teams.

Queuing past the “Building the Marvel” Exhibit

After paying the admission fee, we joined the queue of visitors at the mezzanine level (overlooking the gift shop below) waiting for the three elevators (two of them high speed), which can each accommodate 25 people, to take us up the inside observation area.  As it was the summer month, there was a bit of a line as the number of visitors usually climbs to well over a thousand a day. While waiting for our turn, along the line was the “Building the Marvel Exhibit,” a custom exhibit installed in April 2016, of compelling images, interactive experiences, and fun and historical memorabilia that tells the story of how the Space Needle’s conception and construction.  There are also miniature replicas of the Needle, showing the construction’s progress, plus cool vintage advertisements, posters of the Words fair and clippings from magazine articles praising this architectural marvel.

Inside the 25-pax elevator

Once inside the elevator, it took us 42 seconds to reach the top, travelling at a rate of 10 mph (or 880 ft. per min.). Stepping out of the elevator into the inside observation area, we had awe-inspiring and dramatic views of the downtown Seattle skyline, front and center, with buildings shimmering in the sun.

The Inside Observation Area

Seamless floor-to-ceiling  glass walls gave us unobstructed, 360-degree sights of the region –  Lake Union, the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, the inky waters of Elliott Bay, the ever-popular Great Wheel along the waterfront, and various islands in glittering Puget Sound, with ferries floating around  On a clear day, the flat top of snow-capped Mt. St. Helens can be seen in the distance.

The Inside Observation Area

From the inside observation area, Danny and I stepped out of the door (one of 12) into the open observation deck which was already filled with tourists taking photos and selfies.  Here, we had a more unparalleled experience with a unique, uninhibited bird’s-eye view of the abovementioned landmarks, protected by a series of 11 ft. tall and 7 ft. wide glass panels (which replaced the old wire cages) starting at the floor and tilting outwards.  Lining the edge of the panels are new glass benches, following the angle of the transparent walls, designed at a slant, a perfect, jaw-dropping selfie spot that makes you feel like you are hanging in the air, floating above Seattle.

Danny and the author at the Open Observation Deck

On our way back down, an elevator attendant took the time to point out locations of interest to us, sharing some historical landmark facts and answering questions. Our elevator had windows where we could watch our rapid descent.  Soon the doors opened and we disembarked into the gigantic gift shop at the ground floor before exiting the building.  Every year on New Year’s Eve, the Space Needle celebrates with a fireworks show at midnight that is synchronized to music. Alberto Navarro, a fireworks artist from Bellevue, is the lead architect of the show, which is viewed by thousands from the Seattle Center grounds.

View of the city skyline

To honor national holidays and special occasions in Seattle, the Legacy Light (or Skybeam), derived from the official 1962 World’s Fair poster (which depicted such a light source although none was incorporated into the original design), is lit. Powered by lamps that total 85 million candela shining skyward from the top of the Space Needle, it was originally planned to be turned on 75 nights per year but it has generally been used fewer than a dozen times per year as it is somewhat controversial because of the light pollution it creates.

View of Puget Sound

Since its opening, six (four of them part of an authorized promotion in 1996, withone of them got injured and broke a bone in her back while attempting the stunt) parachutists have leaped from the tower in a sport known as BASE jumping which is legal only with prior authorization (the other two jumped illegally and were arrested).

The Gift Shop

Seattle Needle: 400 Broad Street, Seattle, Washington 98109. Tel: (20) 905-2100. E-mail: guestservice@spaceneedle.com. Website:  www.spaceneedle.com. General admission:: US435 – 39 (regular, ages 13 -64), US$30  -33 (senior, aged 65+) and US$26 – 29 (youth, ages 5 – 12).  Open daily, 10 AM to 9 PM (Sundays to Fridays) and 9 AM to 9 PM (Saturdays).  Coordinates: 47.6204°N 122.3491°W

Waterfront Park (North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Waterfront Park

Upon arrival at Lonsdale Quay and exiting the ferry terminal, Grace, Jandy, Bryan, Kyle and I turned to the left and, after walking less than 180 m., reached snug Waterfront Park on the banks of Vancouver Harbor. Here, there are plenty of walking trails for us to get immersed in nature, irrespective of weather.

One of the first parks in British Columbia, in the 1800s, the area of Waterfront Park was originally a sawmill. When the mill closed, the place was redeveloped and turned into a park which officially opened in 1985, just in time for Expo ’86.

Perfect for a family picnic on a nice day, wheelchair and buggy accessible Waterfront Park has plenty of benches, picnic tables and places to sit throughout the park, as well as a children’s play park. Also found within the park are a dock (Goldsworthy Dock), a large grassy area, a dog park, a small Japanese garden, a maritime memorial and restrooms. There were also several artists selling their creations.

Children’s play park

Frequently, on summer weekends, the park is activated with a festival with food, flea markets and events such as Philippine Days (cultural event in June) and Canada Day Celebrations (July 1).  Caribbean Days, a cultural festival in July, used to happen in Waterfront Park until it moved to Coquitlam in 2022.  In addition, this is a great place to watch the International Fireworks Competition from Stanley Park when it is on.

Waterfront Park is also one of about eight parks and other outdoor public venues where you can drink alcohol in public, subject to certain times and restrictions, in the City of North Vancouver. You don’t even have to buy it there as you can bring your own booze. Other venues where you can do that include Shipbuilders’ Square and Cates Deck near Lonsdale Quay, both of which are just a 5-min. walk from Waterfront Park.

Goldsworthy Dock

We strolled by the water, catching some beautiful and spectacular wide-angle views, either from the shore or the covered Goldsworthy Dock, of the Vancouver skyline, Lyons Gate Bridge and the Burrard Inlet. Here, we also watched the SeaBus come and go as well as other ships navigating the harbor.  Too bad we weren’t lucky enough to see a harbor seal or other marine mammals.

View of the Vancouver skyline from Goldsworthy Dock

We also passed some of the park’s collection of great public art honoring the history and culture of the area. Currently, within the park are three main pieces.

Cathedral (Douglas Senft)

Cathedral, the biggest and most noticeable piece of art, was created by Douglas Senft in 1985 and placed in the park in May 1986.  This archway of large flowing structural steel beams was bent and arranged to echo the outlines of the heavily-treed mountain peaks from North Vancouver to Howe Sound.

Although it’s tempting (especially for younger children), the city asks visitors not to climb on the artwork.

Harubang

A large, 9-ft. high statue called Harubang, made from porous Korean whinstone, is another notable piece of art along the waterfront. Donated to the community by South Korea to promote understanding and friendship between the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Incheon, it is similar to sculptures commonly found on Jeju Island to serve the dual function of guardian and boundary marker.

First Nations Theme Pavilion

The First Nations Theme Pavilion, at the southwest corner of the park, is also home to two Welcome Figures.  Representing a grandfather and grandmother welcoming visitors to the Great Trail, it was carved by a Squamish Nation artist.

A Welcome Figure

Not far from the First Nations Theme Pavilion is the Sailor’s Point Memorial commemorates the sailors lost in the North Atlantic during World War II. The memorial is designed like a compass with plaques and signs describing the history of the area.

Sailor’s Point Memorial

Waterfront Park: Block 200, Esplanade W, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7M 1A5.  Tel: (604) 985-7761.

How to Get There: Waterfront Park is just a 12-minute Seabus ride away, across Burrard Inlet, from Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in the Lower Lonsdale District of North Vancouver. The park is just a 10-min. walk away.

Gastown Steam Clock (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Gastown Steam Clock (photo: Bryan E. Cruz)

This steam-powered clock , Gastown’s most famous (though nowhere near oldest) landmark, is one of the only functioning steam-powered clocks in the world.  It was designed and built in 1977 (to marked the completion of the city’s revitalization project) by Canadian clockmaker Raymond L. Saunders to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver‘s distributed steam heating system as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather.

The author and Jandy at Gastown (photo: Bryan E. Cruz)

At the time, it was considered as either the first (the world’s first steam clock is often credited to British engineer John Inshaw, who supposedly built the clock to attract customers to his pub in Birmingham, UK during the mid-19th century) or second steam-powered clock ever built. Saunders has since built six different public steam clocks for clients such as the city of Otaru, Japan, and the Indiana State Museum. In 2010, he built a clock for Vancouver’s York House School‘s 78th birthday.

Plaque at West Side reads:
Gastown
This clock is located at the western boundary of the old Granville townsite, known as Gastown. In 1870, the shore of Burrard Inlet was only a few yards north of this point. Through the early 1900’s, Gastown was the commercial centre of Vancouver. By the 1960’s, it had become the centre of Vancouver’s ‘skid road’. In the early 1970’s, it was rehabilitated to its former stature. The success of its rehabilitation was due to property owners, retailers, and all the people of Gastown working together with city council and civic departments. The townsite committee, composed of the property owners of Gastown, were responsible for the beautification of the streets. John W. Parker served as chairman of the committee between Jan. 1967 and Sept. 1977.

Originally, its design was faulty and, after a breakdown, had to be powered by electricity. As it had become a major tourist attraction, the steam mechanism was completely restored with the financial support ($58,000) of local businesses and private donors and, although it is of modern invention, is promoted as a heritage feature.  The Gastown clock is not completely powered by steam as the steam engine that drives the clock mechanism is assisted by an electric motor. Weighing over two tons, the component parts the clock cost $42,000.

Plaque at South Side
(facing into the street) reads:

The Gastown Steam Clock
Dedicated to the citizens of Vancouver by the community of Gastown. Presented by former Mayor Art Phillips, a freeman of the borough of Gastown, to his worship Jack Volrich, Mayor of the City of Vancouver on September 24, AD 1977

The steam used to power a miniature steam engine in the base of the clock is low pressure downtown-wide steam heating network (from the Central Heat Distributors plant adjacent to the Georgia Viaduct) which, in turn, drives a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces.

Plaque at East Side reads:
Gastown Steam Clock Sponsors
Anonymous Contributor
The Vancouver Gastown Lions Club
The City of Vancouver
The Gastown Historic Society, Woodward’s Stores Ltd., Marathon Project 200 Properties, John & Patricia Parker, Charterhouse Properties Ltd., Central Heat Distribution Ltd., Milton & Marion Saunders, Air Canada, Simpson Sears Ltd., Georgina M. Barnes, McNab Management Ltd., Ralph Johnstone, Otto Friedl Ltd., German-Canadian Businessman Association, John Podlesnik, Cathay & May Chan, The Harco Building, Hudson House, Ashiteru Rae, The Bakersville Inn, MacDonald & Lumsden Ltd., The Water Street Café

The gravity driven “falling ball” drive was ‘engineered’ by Douglas L. Smith. The steam also powers the clock’s sound production, with whistles being used instead of bells to produce the Westminster “chime” and to signal the time. It shoots steam at the top of every hour and announces quarter hours, sounding the chimes on 5 brass steam whistlers, with the Westminster Quarters; a common clock chime melody that’s also used by London’s “Big Ben.”  In October 2014, the clock was temporarily removed for major repairs by its original builder, and was reinstalled January 2015.

Plaque at North Side reads:
The Gastown Steam Clock
Designed and built by
Raymond L. Saunders
Horologist
The world’s first steam powered clock has been created for the enjoyment of everyone. The live steam winds the weights and blows the whistles. Every 4.5 minutes one steel weight will travel by steam power to the top of the clock. The gravity driven “falling ball” drive was ‘engineered’ by Douglas L. Smith. Each quarter hour the clock will sound the Westminster Chimes. The large whistle will sound once on the hour. The steam is supplied by the underground system of Central Heat Distributors [typo – should be Distribution] Limited. The component parts cost $42,000 and the clock weighs over two tons.

Gastown Steam Clock: 305 Water St. cor. Cambie St., Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1B9.

Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver, Canada)

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Christ Church Cathedral

Just 650 m. from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary is the gorgeous Christ Church Cathedral.  The second cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada, it is a daughter church of St. James’ Anglican Church.

Check out “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary“

High rise buildings surround the cathedral

Set among high-rise buildings, Christ Church Cathedral is the Regimental Church of the Seaforth Highlanders and is in the process of being designated Regimental Church of the BC Regiment, Duke of Connaught’s Own. It is also the church at which the British royal family worships when in Vancouver.

Grace and Kyle

The author and Jandy

Here is the historical timeline of the cathedral:

  • On December 23, 1888, the first service was held, without a church building, at 720 Granville Street.
  • On February 14, 1889, a building committee was formed to collect the necessary funds for the erection of the church to be located on land bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). A key negotiator in acquiring the property is Henry John Cambie, chief engineer of CPR’s Pacific Division and people’s warden of the new church.
  • By October 1889, Christ Church’s basement was built
  • On October 6, 1889, the opening service was held for 52 parishioners.
  • By 1891, the CPR objected to the unfinished building that had quickly been nicknamed the root house. It was viewed an “eyesore” and the parishioners feared they would lose their location due to lack of funds to complete the building.
  • In 1892, the architect Robert Mackay Fripp submitted a proposal for completion of the church.
  • On July 28, 1894, after a financing scheme was developed by a parishioner, the cornerstone was finally laid.
  • On February 17, 1895, the church was dedicated.
  • In 1905, a balcony, covering the narthex area and containing a wood railing in a Gothic pattern, was added
  • By 1909, the first expansion was done.
  • By 1911, the first organ, which used a human blower hired at $5 per month, had already worn out and was replaced by the new Robert Hope-Jones Organ manufactured by Wurlitzer.
  • In 1920, electricity replaced candles for lighting.
  • In 1929, the Archbishop of New Westminster constituted Christ Church as the Cathedral Church of the diocese replacing Holy Trinity Cathedral located in the City of New Westminster.
  • In 1937, the bronze lanterns now in the church were installed at the nave.
  • In 1949, after many building alterations, the $30,000 Casavant Freres organ, constructed partially of recycled wood, surplus war surplus parts and remnants of the Wurlitzer, was installed. It had more than 2,700 pipes and a 600 lb. motor.
  • In 1971, the church membership voted to demolish the building and replace it with a hi-rise tower complex designed by Arthur Erickson. The redevelopment was opposed by the public.
  • In 1976, after much lobbying, the cathedral was named a Class A Heritage building in the municipality of Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia.
  • In 1995, an eleven-year program of restoration and renewal was begun.
  • During the spring and fall of 2004, the Kenneth Jones tracker organ was installed.
  •  In 2004, the church was extensively upgraded and the original fir flooring, cedar tongue and groove ceiling and stained glass windows were restored.
  • In November 2016, a bell tower was inaugurated.

The Gothic Revival style, sandstone facade

The church, built in the Gothic Revival style (with Romanesque and Tudor details), has a granite and sandstone façade and is laid out in the classic Latin Cross plan.

The cathedral’s stunning interior

Its stunning interior, circumnavigated by wood wainscoting with a quatrefoil cornice, has a beautiful and spectacular hammer beam truss (in the style of English halls and churches dating back to the 1300s) ceiling made of cedar planking and ceiling beams.

The spectacular hammer beam truss and ceiling

Its 32 beautiful stained glass windows depict Christ-centered themes, famous people and World War I.

Christ the King and other scenes (Clayton and Bell, Buckinghamshire, England)

The floor was constructed out of old growth Douglas fir.  Wood arches and tracery details separate the side aisles from the nave.

Tree of Life (Susan Pointe)

The modern, semi-abstract “Tree of Life,” spanning 5 stained glass windows (the tallest is 19 ft. high) at the back of the church, was created, in brown tones, by aboriginal Musqueam artist Susan Pointe, executed by Yves Trudeau (of Studio One Glass Art) and dedicated on April 5, 2009.  It depicts salmon (in 4 of the panels) and waters at the base, leaves and trees in the central portion and mountain and birds above.

The Chancel Window (N.T. Lyon Co. Toronto)

Another three stained glass windows, of three disciples of Jesus Christ, were designed by the famous William Morris of England, the most celebrated champion of 19th century “Arts and Crafts” Movement.

The Crucifixion of Our Lord (John Bell and Sons, Bristol, England)

The open glass and steel bell tower, at the northeast side of the cathedral, has a zinc roof.  Its four church bells, cast in France, are rung daily at 8 AM and 6 PM and before church services.

The open glass and steel bell tower

The spire glass features a design by Canadian artist Sarah Hall.  A venue for musical performances, the church’s acoustics are phenomenal and the Choral Eucharist (10:30 AM) and Georgian Chant Services (9:30 PM) are performed every Sunday.

The author

The Celtic cross, which is found on both the cathedral’s exterior and interior, represents the roots of the Anglican Communion in the British Isles. The spindle whorl and the three salmon in the style of the Coast Salish Nation, represent the First People of Canada and the original inhabitants of the west coast.

The Celtic Cross

The Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), in the center, are the initials of the words Christus Rex (Christ the King). The motto “I hold before you an open door” (Revelation 3:8) is the title of the first sermon preached by Rev. H. B. Hobson, the rector, in the cathedral on December 23, 1888.

The tracker organ designed by Kenneth Jones in Ireland

The beautiful and huge tracker organ, in the south gallery of the cathedral, was built in 2003 by Kenneth Jones in Bray, Ireland, and installed, over 10 days, in April 2004.  It is the first Christ Church Cathedral organ custom built to speak with optimum effect in the sanctuary. It comprises a three manual console and 2,500 pipes (1,700 salvaged from the Casavant Freres), wooden trackers and intricate parts sourced from all over Germany.

The fine, carved stone reredo, dedicated in 1923 as a World War I memorial, took almost two years to complete.  Depicted in this stone screen are St. Martin of Tours, St. Lawrence and St. John the Baptist.

Christ Church Cathedral: 690 Burrard Street , Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2L1, Canada. Tel: +1 604-682-3848.  E-mail: reception@thecathedral.ca.  Website: www.thecathedral.ca. Open Mondays to Fridays, 10 AM to 4 PM.  Admission is free but donations are welcomed.  Coordinates: 49°17′03″N 123°07′13″W.

How to Get There: the cathedral, located right across the Burrard Skytrain Station, is located on the northeast corner of West Georgia Street, directly across from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Downtown Vancouver.  It is also a 3-min walk from the Vancouver Art Gallery

Cathedral Square (Vancouver, Canada)

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Facing the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Cathedral Square is a public plaza in downtown Vancouver filled with magnolias and ginkgo trees. It was designed by Bruno Freschi and completed in 1986, just in time for the World’s Fair, as a component of a major BC Hydro underground substation on the site which supplies power to the downtown core.

Check out “Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary”

Cathedral Square

Just north of its reflecting pool and fountain are six pillars that support a canopy structure (which previously had protective glass for inclement weather protection, but it was removed due to upkeep costs) over a paved, terraced area with seating.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary as seen from the square

In May 2021, the under-utilized plaza had a makeover that helped activate the space into a site of renewal and celebration, becoming a re-energized public space that will celebrate the visual culture of the three local nations – Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

The reflecting pool

The square’s six massive concrete cylinder columns at the northeast corner of the intersection of Dunsmuir Street and Richards Street, just across from the cathedral, were used as a blank canvas for a First Nations-themed mural called “Blanketing the City IV,” the fourth in a series of first large-scale public art collaboration between weaving artists. Other past works were applied to the two pillars of the Granville Street Bridge, below Granville Island, and the southern facade of the former Biltmore Hotel at 395 Kingsway, now used as supportive housing.

Mural of “Blanketing the City IV”

The design of the installation, organized by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and the Vancouver Mural Festival, is a collaboration between Musqueam artist Debra Sparrow (involved in the revival of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm or Musqueam weaving for 25+ years), Squamish chief and accomplished weaver (co-founder of the L’hen Awtxw Weaving House) and teacher Janice George (Sḵwxwú7mesh) and the Tsleil-Waututh’s Angela George (səlilwətaɬ) who has dedicated her career to the betterment of First Nations people and communities.

Cathedral Square: 566 Richards St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1X4.

Waterfront Station (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Waterfront Station

The stunningly grand and majestic, 6-storey, 146-m. (480-ft.) long Waterfront Station (Station Code: WF), located on Burrard Inlet, is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Vancouver. It is within walking distance or the vicinity of Vancouver’s historical Gastown district, Canada Place, Vancouver Convention Centre, Harbour Centre, Sinclair Centre, the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre float plane terminal (approximately two blocks west of Canada Place), the heliport operated by Helijet, (adjacent to the SeaBus concourse, therefore allowing passengers to connect to Waterfront Station‘s main terminal building) and the downtown campuses for Simon Fraser University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

The row of Ionic columns

The current Neo-Classical-style main station building, designed by Barott, Blackader and Webster (a Montreal architecture firm) and built by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), is CPR’s third station.  It replaced a smaller station, built in the 1890s and previously located at the foot of Granville, one block west, built in chateau-like “Railway Gothic” style like the CPR’s many railway hotels. Its symmetrical red-brick facade is dominated by a row of smooth, white limestone Ionic order columns which are repeated in the grand interior hall, flanking the perimeter of the space.

The Neo-Classical-style facade

The main hall features two large clocks facing each other high on the east and west walls while paintings depicting various scenic Canadian landscapes, by Adelaide Langford (wife of a CPR executive), line the walls above the columns.

One of two large clocks at the Main Hall

Rouge Kitchen & Wet Bar, on the street level, occupies the east wing. Other restaurants located within the station include A&W, Jugo Juice, La Prep, Subway, Starbucks and SKK Italy. On the upper floors, some rooms are occupied by business offices.

Rouge Kitchen & Wet Bar

Subway and Jugo Juice

The bronze statue of Angel of Victory, one of an originally identical trio (the other two angels are in Winnepeg and Montreal), at the front of the extreme east end of the building, was created by Couer de Lion MacCarthy (1881-1979) and was installed in 1921.

Angel of Victory (Couer de Lion MacCarthy)

A war memorial honoring CPR employees who were killed during World War I, it depicts an angel carrying a dead soldier to heaven.  At one time, she was holding s small wreath in her raised hand but, at some point, the wreath was broken and now she holds just a few leaves in her hand.  After World War II, the writing on the plaque at the base of the statue was added.

Historical Plaque

Here’s the historical timeline of the station:

  • On May 1912, the construction of Waterfront Station began
  • On August 1, 1914, right at the start of World War I, the station was opened as the Pacific terminus for the CPR’s transcontinental passenger trains to Montreal, Quebec and Toronto, Ontario.  Canadian soldiers, on their way to the war, departed on this depot.
  • In 1916, the paintings lining the walls above the columns were completed.
  • On May 29, 1939, residents welcomed King George VI and Queen Elizabeth here (British Columbia’s first visit by a reigning monarch)
  • In 1977, Waterfront Station‘s transformation into a public intermodal transit facility began.
  • In 1977, SeaBus began operating out of a purpose-built floating pier that was connected to the main terminal building via an overhead walkway above the CPR tracks.
  • In 1978, when Via Rail took over the passenger operations of the CPR and the Canadian National Railway, it continued using both railways’ stations in Vancouver
  • In 1979, Via Rail ceased using this CPR station when it consolidated its Vancouver operations at Pacific Central Station, the CN station near False Creek.
  • On October 27, 1979, the last scheduled Via Rail passenger train to use Waterfront Station departed, with 200 passengers (plus 50 train aficionados who tagged along to Mission), for Montreal, 15 mins. late.
  • In the early 1980s, the CPR’s passenger platform and some of its tracks were torn up to make way for the guideway of the original SkyTrain line (Expo Line).
  • On December 11, 1985, the Expo Line was opened.
  • During Expo 86, SkyTrain operated special shuttle trains between Waterfront Station and Stadium–Chinatown Station(then named Stadium station), connecting the Canadian Pavilion at Canada Place to the main Expo site along False Creek.
  • In the early 1990s, Royal SeaLink Express, a private ferry company, ran passenger ferries from a new dock on the west side of the SeaBus terminal to Victoria and Nanaimo  but ultimately folded.
  • In 1995, platforms were built adjacent to the SkyTrain station for the West Coast Express, which uses the existing CPR tracks. The platforms for the West Coast Express were built in the same location as the old CPR platforms.
  • In 2002, Millennium Line trains began to share tracks with the Expo Line at Waterfront Station.
  • In 2003, HarbourLynx began operating out of Royal Sealink’s old facility at the SeaBus terminal.
  • In 2006, following major engine problems with their only vessel, HarbourLynx folded as well.
  • In late 2016, an Expo Line branch to Production Way–University station was created in replacement of the Millennium Line service between VCC–Clark and Waterfront Station.
  • In 2009, the Canada Line opened
  • In 2018, as most Canada Line stations were built with only up escalators initially, TransLink announced that Waterfront Station‘s Canada Line platforms, as well as two other stations on the line located within Downtown Vancouver, would receive an accessibility upgrade which includes additional escalators.
  • In early 2019, construction began on the additional escalators
  • In December 2019, the installation of additional escalators was completed.
  • In 2020, work on replacing the escalators connecting to the Expo Line was started by TransLink.
  • For three weeks in June 2020, access to the Expo Line from Cordova Street was closed, forcing passengers to access the Expo Line from the Howe Street entrance. Because the construction blocked access to the elevators to the Expo Line platforms, a temporary shuttle bus service between the SeaBus terminal, the main concourse area, and Burrard Station was instated.

Ionic columns inside the main hall

Waterfront Station was one of the first stations to receive TransLink’s “T” signage (denoting a transit station).  Originally installed in the downtown core of Vancouver, this signage helped visitors during the 2010 Olympics as it made transit hubs easier to identify.

Waterfront Station serves as a common terminus point for both the Expo Line (through Vancouver to Northeast/South Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey) and the Canada Line (through Vancouver to central Richmond and Vancouver International Airport). They have separate platforms which are accessible via the main station building, but require leaving the fare paid zone when transferring between other modes.

The SeaBus passenger ferry, to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, stops on the Vancouver side at Waterfront Station, near the Vancouver Convention Centre. Additionally, Waterfront Station  provides West Coast Express commuter rail (Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Mission) a connection to the SeaBus passenger ferry. The station is also accessible to various local, suburban, and express bus services provided by TransLink.

Escalator to Expo Line

Expo Line

Waterfront Station: 601 West Cordova St. (between Granville and Seymour Sts.), Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1G1, Canada. The station has also two street-level entrances – Howe Street to the west (for direct access to the Expo Line) and Granville Street to the south (for direct access to the Canada Line).  Coordinates: 49°17′09″N 123°06′42″W

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Vancouver)

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Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

Five days after our arrival in Vancouver, Grace, Jandy, Kyle and I had our first mass at the late 19th-century, 700-pax Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Grace and Kyle making their way into the cathedral

Commonly known as Holy Rosary Cathedral, serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver. Located in the downtown area of the city, it is listed on the Vancouver Heritage Register and is a legally protected building.

The cathedral’s French Gothic Revival style facade

Designed by architects Thomas Ennor Julian and H.J. Williams in the classic cruciform form (with narthex, nave, transepts and an apsidal chancel), it was constructed under the charge of R. P. Forshaw and Company and the church was completed in just 491 days. At the time it was finished, the building was praised as “the finest piece of architecture west of Toronto and north of San Francisco.”

The right side of the cathedral

The left side of the cathedral

Here’s the historical timeline of the cathedral:

  • In June 1885, the parish was established with Father Patrick Fay, the chaplain to Canadian Pacific Railway(CPR) workers, chosen as pastor.
  • In 1886, construction began for a wooden church
  • In 1888, the wooden church was completed the following year and blessed.
  • In 1890, the church was enlarged and a bell tower was added.
  • On July 16, 1899, the cornerstone for the new church was laid by Archbishop Adélard Langevin of Saint Boniface.
  • In the autumn of 1900, the cathedral’s pipe organ was inaugurated.
  • On October 21, 1900, the church’s seven bells were blessed
  • On December 8, 1900, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the new Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was opened and was blessed the day after by Archbishop Alexander Christie of Portland, Oregon.
  • In 1906, eight bells were reinstalled in the cathedral
  • In 1911, on Dominion Day, the church’s bells were rung, the first peal ever to be rung in Canada .
  • In 1916, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral.
  • In February 1922, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for beloved local lifeguard and swim instructor Joe Fortes. The cathedral filled to capacity, with thousands of others braving the rain and cold weather to view the funeral procession on the streets of Vancouver.
  • In 1927, the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), which administered the parish since 1893, left after difficulties arose from the mortgage agreement that had helped pay for the construction of the cathedral. This was coupled with the “growing manpower shortage” caused by a declining number of members joining the order.
  • In late 1932, the “tin scales” that covered spire of the taller steeple were cleaned and repaired, and the cross atop of it was repainted.
  • In 1936, it hosted an archdiocesan-level Eucharistic Congress, the first congress ever to be celebrated in Western Canada.
  • In 1939, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for Pope Pius XI.
  • On October 7, 1952, the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, a gunman entered the church and fired a round from his rifle at the altar. No one was hurt and he was arrested shortly after.
  • In April 1959, a minor tilt in the bell tower of the cathedral was detected probably due to the drilling and blasting of a nearby tunnel.
  • On October 3, 1953, the rite of consecration as a cathedral, officiated by the Archbishop of Vancouver William M. Duke, was held.  The subsequent solemn pontifical Mass was celebrated by Michael Harrington, the Bishop of Kamloops. Approximately 35 bishops from across Canada and the United States attended the event, which coincided with Duke’s golden and silver jubilees of his priestly ordination and consecration as a bishop, respectively.
  • In 1961, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for former Vancouver police commissioner William Cameron Murphy.
  • In the 1960s, after the Second Vatican Council, the reordering of the sanctuary took place.
  • In 1967, an interfaith requiem was held at the cathedral for former Governor General of Canada Georges Vanier.
  • In September 1981, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for internationally-acclaimed actor Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh
  • On September 19, 1984, Pope John Paul II visited the church as part of his pastoral visit to Canada. Refurbishing took place prior to his visit.
  • From 1995 to 1997, the cathedral was completely re-roofed, with zinc being utilized on the roof to resemble slate.
  • In 1999, the organ was dismantled and transported to Casavant Frères in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec for a two-year restoration.
  • In Easter of 2000, the rehabilitated pipe organ was blessed. That same year, an organ concert series was hosted at the cathedral for the first time.
  • In late September 2001, the cathedral became the first place in Canada to host the relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux during her reliquary’s three-month-long tour of the country.
  • In December 2002, some of the carpeting was removed and replaced with Italian ceramic tiles.
  • From 2004 to 2006, the inside of the church was repainted.
  • On April 1, 2005, a funeral requiem mass was said at the cathedral for Pope John Paul II.
  • On March 23, 2008, during an Easter Sunday Mass at the cathedral, First Nations protesters disrupted the mass by demonstrating on the outside steps. They ordered the Church to “get off native land” and demanded that they disclose the burial locations of children who died in residential schools.
  • On February 12, 2010, the cathedral’s bells were rung during the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
  • On October 30, 2011, a splinter group from the Occupy Vancouver movement marched to the cathedral from the Vancouver Art Gallery, attempting to enter the cathedral and occupy it but were thwarted by Vancouver police officers and Knights of Columbus.
  • In the spring of 2017, the copy of the bronze sculpture Homeless Jesus by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz was installed in front of the cathedral.
  • In 2018, new light fixtures, pews and an upgraded sound system were added.
  • On March 22, 2020, as a result of the Archdiocese suspending all public masses starting from March 21 onwards, in response to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, Sunday Mass was celebrated without a congregation for the first time in the cathedral’s history.
  • In June 2020, public masses at the cathedral resumed with capacity reduced to 50 people per Mass in order to adhere to the physical distancing requirements set out by the provincial health authorities.

The 49 m. (161 ft.) long, 32 m. (104 ft.) wide (across the transepts) and 19 m. (62 ft.) high (from floor to ceiling) cathedral, built in the French Gothic revival style, has been described as resembling the medieval Chartres Cathedral in France. Cruciform, in the shape of the Latin cross, it is 19 m. (62 ft.) across the nave and the aisles.

The taller bell tower

Its foundations were made of granite while its exterior walls were built from sandstone originating from Gabriola Island.  The cathedral’s “most prominent visual feature” is its two asymmetric bell towers. The taller, 66 m.  (217 ft.) high steeple was originally designed to have flying buttresses at the bottom.

The cathedral interior looking towards the main altar

The cathedral interior looking towards the choir loft

The nave arcades at the interior which, in turn support a Gothic tunnel vault, are supported by Norman columns made from highly polished, red Scagliola marble. Non-structural ribs decorate the vault, with simple molding accenting the intermediate ribs.

Left side aisle

Right side aisle

The cathedra, situated at the center of the sanctuary, is surrounded by a Gothic-style, oak altar-piece, with richly detailed gold foliage and angels set in relief, and two towers of reredos decked with delicately carved angels carrying torches, thuribles and sacred books.

Left transept

Right transept

 

The cathedral originally had seven bells (representing the sacraments) cast at the Fonderie Paccard in Annecy-le-Vieux, Savoy, France. However, when they were found to be out of tune, they were sent to a foundry near Bristol where eight bells were made to complete an entire octave when rung.

Baptismal Font

 

Two of the14 Stations of the Cross

Statue of the Pieta

Operating on change ringing, they are one of the few peal of bells hung in the English style found in North America, and one of three in British Columbia (the others are located at Westminster Abbey in Mission and Victoria‘s Christ Church Cathedral).

Grace and Kyle

The cathedral’s pipe organ, manufactured by the Karn–Warren Organ Company in Woodstock, Ontario, is the “oldest romantic-style organ” in the province “remaining in its original location.” An organ concert is held at the cathedral annually since 2000.  One of the most beautiful organs in the West Coast, it has three manuals, 4 divisions, 42 stops, 51 ranks and 2,899 pipes.

The cathedral’s pipe organ

Of the current 21 stained glass windows (documented by the Institute for Stained Glass in Canada) at the cathedral, the oldest is The Church Triumphant with the Risen Christ among Saints and Martyrs, on the east wall of the sanctuary, next to the shrine of the Blessed Virgin.

Stained glass depicting The Church Triumphant with the Risen Christ among Saints and Martyrs

The most renowned ones are the five windows made by Canadian artist Guido Nincheri whose work can be found in over 60 churches in North America.

Stained glass depicting Jesus with the Children (Guido Nincheri)

They depict Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, on the north side of the west transept; the Baptism of Our Lord (completed in January 1954), Jesus Healing the Sick, Jesus with the Children and the Assumption (completed and shipped out of the Nincheri studios in November 1953 and installed later that year). Started in 1941, it would take 13 years for the work on the stained glass to be completed.

Stained glass depicting The Assumption (Guido Nincheri)

The stained glass depicting Our Lady of the Holy Rosary was featured on Canada Post‘s annual Christmas stamp in 1997.

Stained glass depicting Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (Guido Nincheri)

In front of the cathedral is a copy of the bronze sculpture Homeless Jesus by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. Showing a life-size statue of a man with a long overcoat lying on a park bench, his face is hidden underneath a hood and his bare feet with stigmata.

The author beside the copy of the bronze sculpture of the Homeless Jesus by Candian artist Timothy Schmalz

According to Stanley Galvon (the rector at the time), the statue is intended to be “a catalyst to make people think about” the city’s homelessness crisis.

Jandy

Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: 646 Richards cor. Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 3A3.  Tel: (604) 682-6774. Fax: (604) 331-8406.  E-mail: office@vancouvercathedral.org. Website: www.holyrosarycathedral.org. Sunday mass schedule: 8 AM, 9:30 AM, 11 AM, 12:30 PM, 5 PM.

How to Get There: by Metro, take the Expo Line to Granville Station or the Canada Line to Waterfront Station.  Both are a 5 minute walk away.