Vancouver Sun
John Mackie
Photograph by Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun
The Marine Building penthouse is, incredibly, more or less intact, although it’s now used as an office.
When it was built in 1930, the Marine Building was the tallest building in the British Empire. To show off its dazzling waterfront view, an observation deck was built on the top floor, with a huge wraparound terrace.
Heritage Vancouver invites you to a unique opportunity to explore the two floors of the ultra-elegant private penthouse at the top of Vancouver’s finest heritage building. Enjoy the Art Deco atmosphere and the fabulous view, hear about its unique history, and share your experiences, stories, and photos of the Marine Building.
The Penthouse has many of its original features still intact, and is currently the office of Urbanics Consultants Ltd, our generous host and sponsor for the event. Donald Luxton and Chuck Davis will intrigue you with stories of the architecture and history of the Marine Building.
From the Save the York Theatre Society
A group of community members who are interested in saving and restoring the York Theatre met at City Hall on December 6, 2007 with the new owner of the York Theatre and a number of representatives from the Planning Department, Cultural Affairs, and Heritage Group for the City of Vancouver.
The History and Vision for the York Theatre tells the story of why the York Theatre should be saved and restored. Click here
It was clear from this meeting that the new owner and developer, Paul Phillips of Edge Homes, has no interest in preserving the theatre. During the city strike, he was led to believe there would be no opposition to the demolition of the theatre and a townhouse development.
The York Theatre holds a significant place in the history of Vancouver theatre. It is the only purpose built theatre with fly tower and proscenium stage on the east side of the city and one of only two or three such theatres left in Vancouver. The York Theatre seats approximately 500 people and, according to a survey conducted by the Coal Harbour Arts Complex Society, there are 915 potential uses annually of a theatre in this size range.
The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance wishes to express its strongest possible support for a civic initiative to help preserve and revitalize this precious and historic cultural facility.
The York Theatre is the last remaining purpose built building for legitimate theatre in the City and was the home of Vancouver Little Theatre for many years. The theatre was recently purchased by a developer who has plans to demolish the theatre and build a townhouse complex.
Proposed street front of the restored York Theatre – Downs-Archambault design 1982
A History and Vision for the York Theatre has been created by the Save the York Theatre Society. The Forum on the Future of Theatres reflected the community’s concerns about our last remaining opportunities to preserve and restore our heritage theatres. The need for theatre space in Vancouver is clear. The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance confirms there is strong support from the theatre community. The City’s report on the Coal Theatre Arts Complex concluded there is a shortage of performance venues in the City. And the Vancouver East Cultural Centre indicated it could operate the theatre on an interim basis if it was returned to early use and restored fully later.
December 6, 2007
News from the arts world
Georgia Straight
By Jessica Werb
Townhouses planned for York site The new owners of the York Theatre on Commercial Drive plan to replace the theatre with eco-friendly townhouses.
Paul Phillips, president of EDG Homes Inc., which purchased the property last October as Vintage Development Corp. with business partners Small Favours Pictures Limited and 0805122 BC Limited, told the Straight he is not interested in preserving the theatre.
“Our interest is to develop an environmentally sensitive, LEED-certified townhome development there—a cutting-edge property in line with the EcoDensity of [Vancouver mayor] Mr. Sullivan’s dreams,” he said by phone. “It will be townhomes with attached garages, with roof gardens and low-toxicity materials.”
Phillips said he and his partners will submit their plans to the city within the next week or two, and expect development to begin in May or June this year.
From the Pantages Theatre Arts Society
This year marks the Centennial of the opening of Vancouver’s Pantages Theatre. One century ago, it stood for everything that was beautiful, new and exciting in theatre. Today, the Pantages remains all of that, – and it has also become a beacon of change and hope in the Downtown Eastside.
With the support of the City, the Pantages will be fully restored as the dazzler it once was and upgraded to modern technical standards. It has a superb acoustic, seats 650, and will offer new lobbies, a rehearsal studio, an enlarged pit, and every modern amenity. It will be restored with meticulous attention to its irreplaceable heritage value. And it will be managed in the public interest by the non-profit Pantages Theatre Arts Society on a long-term lease from its developer.
If you believe that live theatre will make a difference in the Downtown Eastside, please tell City Council. If you believe that Western Canada’s oldest theatre deserves to be saved and restored, please tell City Council. If your own company in music, dance, theatre, film, video, whatever your art may be, believes that you need and would use such a theatre, please tell City Council.
The Future of Theatres in Vancouver
From Heritage Vancouver
All of these treasures are currently at risk of disappearing or being altered to the point that their heritage value becomes questionable. The most important thing missing from our understanding is that there is no heritage protection in the city, the province or the country that would stop anyone from demolishing a heritage building if they chose to take that action.
The Vogue Theatre is an excellent example. Its future is right now up in the air and even though it is a National Historic Site the current owner could decide to tear it down, and though he may be delayed by the process, there is nothing that would actually get in his way.
The fact that these buildings are threatened and there is nothing in place to protect them is largely unknown to the general public. This is an important overarching story that needs to be told.
Janet Leduc
Heritage Vancouver
Click images to enlarge
Thursday, January 17th, 2008
Time: 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: Vancouver Museum, 1100 Chestnut Street
Admission: $5.00; Heritage Vancouver Members free
No advance registration required. Doors open at 6:30pm
Join City of Vancouver Planner Hugh McLean for a conversation on the “Past, Present and Future of Vancouver’s Japantown.” Hugh will present interesting information on the evolution of the area, its historical and cultural significance and discuss where the process is heading.
Globe and Mail
Trevor Boddy
tboddy@globeandmail.com
December 29, 2007
Recently, some of the region’s most historic buildings have fallen victim to the wrecker, smashing to dust an irreplaceable part of a city’s soul. Is there any way to save the remaining architectural masterpieces?
It was downtown Vancouver’s last building that could remind us of the 1930s – a whirling wedding cake of streamline stucco that most of us knew as the Fido outlet at Georgia and Richards, first built as the Collier Auto Showroom. It got knocked down early one morning during the civic strike, leaving one more empty-tooth slot in the mug’s face of downtown.
Then, on Dec. 6, the wrecking crews went to work on one of Arthur Erickson’s most world-renowned and influential houses, a grand sequence of portals and frames elegantly descending down a Horseshoe Bay cliffside. This 1963 house for David Graham was featured on the pages of Life magazine and leased as a love nest to Warren Beatty and Julie Christie when in town to shoot Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs. Miller.
From Herb Auerbach
There are several major issues to be addressed in the preservation and restoration of theatres in Vancouver, like the York and he Vogue. They are Heritage, Cultural Infrastructure, Cultural Development, and Economic Development. There are also environmental issues around the use of materials and energy required for new construction, and around the disposal of the proceeds of demolition that should also be a consideration if we take a holistic approach to these projects.
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