MacMillan Bloedel Building

1075 West Georgia (Georgia at Thurlow)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Structure: concrete and glass
Completed 1969
Architect: Arthur Erickson
Style: Modern

Originally designed as the world headquarters for forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel, this building tapers upward like a tree trunk. It also exploits Erickson's favourite building material, concrete, which he considers "the marble of the twentieth century." The concrete walls, as opposed to interior columns, support the building. Although some feel the use of concrete is excessive, I feel it gives the building a dramatic, if not mysterious air, while still promoting a sense of restraint and understatement. The beige tone of the concrete, the significant use of windows, and the building's elegant sunken plaza, flowerbeds, and fountains allow it blend in well with its surroundings.

Temporary photo from Kyle Linfoot, http://members.nbci.com/klinfoot/MacBlo.htm