Did you know that Vancouver architects are responsible for making the famed CBC “bunker” building almost completely wireless? In a 2009 renovation, architects helped navigate technology challenges by hiding wires, cables and ducts below the CBC floor with removable floor tiles. Believe it or not, the architects were able to complete all the renovations without stopping the flow of on-air broadcasting! Learn more fun facts about Vancouver and how architects shaped the city on the Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s (AIBC) Architectural Walking Tours. Starting on July 1, tours will run Thursday to Monday throughout July and August. Participants can explore six key Vancouver neighbourhoods with expert guides and gain insight into some of Vancouver’s most iconic buildings.
“Educational, entertaining and suitable for all ages, the AIBC Architectural Walking Tours are an engaging way to experience the unique architecture of B.C.’s largest city by foot. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, you’ll see a side of the city never seen before,” says Mark Vernon, CEO, Architectural Institute of B.C.
Vancouver tours include Gastown, Chinatown, Downtown, Yaletown, the West End and Strathcona. Architectural Walking tour participants will experience:
- Gastown: Explore how building scale and street layout offer clues to the expansion and relocation of the downtown centre from Gastown to its current location. See how heritage restoration and preservation guidelines and initiatives set up in the 1970s have transformed and renewed this historical part of Vancouver.
- Chinatown: Stroll market streets, taking in retail, commercial and residential structures built by some of the founding merchants of this historic district.
- Downtown: Discover modern and contemporary architecture while travelling through Vancouver’s business district, home to British Columbia’s tallest buildings.
- Yaletown: Learn about how the City of Vancouver transformed this industrial area from a contaminated wasteland into one of the trendiest and most vibrant neighbourhoods in Canada.
- The West End: Walk through a mix of historic buildings and explore architectural influences that have shaped this area over the decades. From Queen Anne style homes to 70s style postmodern residential high rises, this tour has it all.
- Strathcona: Experience Vancouver’s oldest and most diverse residential area. Strathcona has remained the city’s “hidden gem” for years. Learn how this community has survived and flourished over the years.
Architectural Walking Tours are $10 and run throughout July and August. Tours are available Thursday through Monday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Vancouver. Space is limited, so the public is invited to visit aibc.ca/tours, email tours@aibc.ca or call 1.800.667.0753 (toll free in B.C.) to book a tour today!
Tours begin inside the AIBC lobby at 100 – 440 Cambie Street. Participants are asked to arrive 15 minutes before departure time. A distance of 3 kilometres (2 miles) is covered over a period of 1.5 to 2 hours.
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