Dominion Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dominion Building |
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| Alternative names | Dominion Trust Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Location | 207 West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°16′57″N 123°06′36″W / 49.2825°N 123.11°W |
| Construction started | 1906 |
| Completed | 1910 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 44.8 m (147 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J.S. Helyer and Son |
The Dominion Building (first called the Dominion Trust Building) is a famous building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's located in the Gastown area. When it was finished in 1910, it was a very important building. It was Vancouver's first tall building made with a steel frame. It was also the tallest commercial building in the entire British Empire at that time!
Contents
A Tall Building with History
The Dominion Building stands 53 meters (175 feet) tall. It has thirteen floors. The building was designed in the Second Empire style. This style was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The architect who designed it was John S. Helyer. There's a story that he died after falling from a staircase in the building. But this is just an urban legend, meaning it's a popular story that isn't true.
Who Built It?
The money for the building came from the Counts von Alvensleben. They were from Germany and were involved in Vancouver's money world back then. People at the time thought they might be working for the Kaiser (the German emperor). This made people wonder if the British Empire's tallest building was built with money from its biggest rival.
Today, the Dominion Building is a special heritage building. This means it's protected because of its history and importance.
What's Inside Today?
The Dominion Building is owned by Newton Investments Limited. It has been carefully restored to keep its original look. Many different businesses and groups are in the building now.
You can find:
- Film production companies
- Law firms
- Clothing designers
- Record labels
- Shops selling old books
- A dance company called Kokoro Dance
- Web developers and marketing agencies
- The office for the Green Party of Vancouver
- A dentist's office
- Non-profit groups like Living Oceans Society and Fair Trade Vancouver
- An art supply store called Opus
- A Lebanese restaurant called Nuba
Location and Surroundings
The Dominion Building is right across the street from Victory Square. Victory Square used to be where the provincial courthouse was located. In 1913, the courthouse moved to Georgia Street. Before that move, the Dominion Building was at the center of Vancouver's financial and legal area.
Seen on Screen
The Dominion Building has been featured in several movies and TV shows:
- The back of the building and Cambie Street were filmed for street scenes in the movie The Neverending Story. You can see it from Water Street.
- It was also used for scenes in an abandoned city in the TV show Battlestar Galactica.
- The first rooftop chase scene in the movie Blade: Trinity was shot at the Dominion Building.
- The 2012 TV show Alcatraz used the building as a filming location in its first episode. Even though the show was set in San Francisco, many scenes were filmed in Vancouver. The Dominion Building can also be seen later in the series.
The famous Can Lit. author Timothy Taylor. has a writing office in this building.
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Entrance
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Lobby
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Dominion Building
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The Dominion Building in 1915
Images for kids
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View north from Victory Square
See also
In Spanish: Dominion Building para niños
