BC Electric Building

Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC
Structure: steel frame; porcelain cladding
Completed 1955
Architects: Sharp Thompson Berwick & Pratt
Style: International, with Art Deco detailing

This Modernist tower deserves mention for its striking facades, most remarkable of which are the front and back, which are executed in porcelain and gently angled to form a subtle apex. With the combination of its smooth, elegant exterior and its striking proportions, the BC Electric Building forms a majestic backdrop to Burrard Street. The building's lozenge shape is a motif that is repeated extensively throughout the interior (especially the main lobby). The building was recently converted into condominiums and is now called The Electra. It is a designated heritage building.

Photo courtesy BC Archives, http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca