Located near the busy intersection of Georgia and Granville Streets, the Vancouver Block is a striking Edwardian Commercial building topped by a large clock tower and finished with ornamental terracotta. A landmark on the Vancouver skyline since 1912, the 15-storey building was commissioned by the wealthy Dominic Burns and designed by the architectural partnership of John Parr and Thomas Fee, one of the city’s most prolific firms.
Purchased by Equitable Real Estate in the 1950s for $1.3 million, the company continues to maintain and preserve the building’s unique character and Burns’ historic legacy, including restoration of its lobby to its original 20-foot height in 2006 and ongoing repairs to its façade, clock tower and components. The building’s retail and commercial office space have been in continuous use throughout its lifetime.
In 2006, the City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation program recognized the building as a Type A historical property:
“The heritage value of the Vancouver Block lies in its location near the intersection of Granville and Georgia streets in downtown Vancouver, as a symbol of the Edwardian optimism and rapid growth in Vancouver’s economy and urban fabric in the early twentieth century, in its association with the architectural firm of Parr and Fee, in its landmark status, and in its unique representation of the Edwardian Commercial style.
