Introduction: Opened in the heart of Downtown 103 years ago, the Hudson's Bay Company’s biggest flagship store made its grand debut on March 14th at the present intersection of Georgia and Granville. Between 1965 to 2013, it was more commonly known as “The Bay”. Today, it is renowned as the go to hot spot for Vancouverites in need of high-end designer fashion and luxury goods.
Architecture: It took a team of 3 accomplished architects to come up with the overall structure of the building. Burke, Horwood and White were given the task to take the existing red-brick storefront and bring it into the 20th century. It needed to be something fresh enough to attract new buyers, but at the the same time it needed to have a look of wealth to represent the company’s overall dominance in the market.Quickly given the title “Palatial New Building”, construction workers spared no attention to detail and refinement. The 650 000 sq ft. structure was powered from top to bottom with 61.1551 km of electric wiring, and over 294 835 kg of steel were used for the interior. After the initial renovation, a total of 4 structures were added to accommodate to the ever increasing stock. The first one occurred in 1925, combining the Granville store to a section on Georgia and Seymour. 2 new wings were added a year later, making the total cost of expansion $4.5 million CAD. The current building as it stands today was finalized in 1949, with an extension built on North Seymour shortly after. written by: C.S.C posted by: F.J.