Former Vancouver Post Office

There are several imposing buildings here. On your left is the former Vancouver Post Office, it is now converted into a shopping mall. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, it is a classic Vancouver landmark, easily recognizable by its row of monumental columns, its mansard roof and, above all, its domed clock tower. It is classified as a federal heritage building for its historical and architectural value. Across the street, still on the left, stands the imposing Royal Bank Building. This was the city’s first bank skyscraper, inaugurated in 1931 in a style combining art deco and neo-Romanesque. On the opposite side of the street, on your right, you’ll find the beautiful neo-classical building of the famous Birks jewellers. The store moved to this location in 1975, following the controversial demolition of the original building a few meters away. The only original feature preserved is the clock, under which it was common to meet, before cell phones existed. And if you want to see something only a few tourists know about, go down two blocks to Rue Granville. At the corner with Rue Dunsmui, you’ll find the former Imperial Bank of Commerce building, which is now a drugstore. Enter and climb to the store’s second floor. You’ll come face to face with an impressive mural mosaic, composed of over 200,000 pieces of Venetian glass. It’s the work of Canadian artist Binning, strongly influenced by European painters such as Matisse and Picasso. The work, is as abstract as it gets, and tells the story of the region’s flourishing economy, through its various resources, such as hydroelectricity, forestry, shipping and agriculture. A hidden gem in the heart of a drugstore is just the kind of surprise Vancouver has in store for you.