Release: Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s (AIBC)
Walk the Blocks of Vancouver with AIBC Architectural Walking Tours
For locals and tourists alike, the tours provide a unique perspective into Vancouver’s past and present.
Did you know that Jimi Hendrix was a frequent visitor to Vancouver, and that his Grandmother lived in a Victorian style home in Strathcona? Learn more facts about Vancouver’s built environment and how architects shaped the city on the Architectural Institute of British Columbia’s (AIBC) Architectural Walking Tours. Participants can explore six key neighbourhoods with expert AIBC guides throughout July and August, beginning July 2.
“The AIBC is excited to be offering the Architectural Walking Tours again this summer, featuring six Vancouver and three Victoria neighbourhoods. The tours are designed to engage and educate participants about the value of architecture and its integral role within society, in a fun and social setting,”
—Mark Vernon, CEO, Architectural Institute of British Columbia.
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 to book a tour today!
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About the AIBC
The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) is an independent, professional self-governing body established in 1920 by provincial statue (the Architects Act) with the mandate to regulate the profession of architecture on behalf of the public.
