Dominion building

Standing before you is one of Vancouver’s most iconic buildings, sparking our curiosity with its bright yellows and reds, and its old-world charisma.

This is the Dominion Building, Vancouver’s very first steel-framed skyscraper. Upon its inauguration in 1910, it became the tallest commercial building in the British Empire with its 53 meters. Its handsome Chicago style, blended with classical columns and a Second Empire mansard roof, is the work of architect John S. Helyer, who, according to urban legend, died falling down the stairs in front of the building. The story of its funding is also tainted with mystery and revenge, or at least irony, since its main investor, Alvo Van Alvensleben, was a godson of the German Emperor. Since construction was probably made possible thanks to the Kaiser’s money, it could be said that the tallest building in the British Empire was built with the money of its main rival. Be that as it may, it was built in the middle of an unprecedented economic boom and was intended to transform Vancouver into the financial center of Western Canada. Now restored, it is classified Grade A on the heritage scale. Its happy tenants include a film production company, a marketing agency, the Vancouver Green Party office, clothing designers, record companies and offices of Canadian NGOs. And for the record, the back of the building, with its fire escapes, was filmed in the street scenes of the famous ’90s fantasy film The Neverending Story. If this iconic movie is too old for you, you should know that the building and the Victoria Square across from it were also used to depict an abandoned city in Battlestar Galactica. On your left, Victoria Square unveils a granite war memorial, paying tribute to the Vancouverites who died during World War I.