The two-storey banking pavilion and accompanying 37-storey office tower, collectively known as the Royal Centre, has been a staple of the Burrard and West Georgia Street intersection since 1973. Designed by Dirassar, James, Jorgenson & Davis, the skyscraper complex is anchored by the British Columbia headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada.

1000 West Georgia Street in 1981, image via City of Vancouver Archives

The Royal Centre complex is connected to the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, a 644-room hotel built in the same year. Its 35 floors and 109-metre height made it the tallest hotel in the city from 1973 to 2001. Both buildings feature a Modernist aesthetic, with horizontal window bands creating a rhythmic architectural expression.

1000 West Georgia Street in 2016, image retrieved from Google Street View

Besides cosmetic upgrades to RBC's exterior branding, the Royal Centre has retained its streamlined Modernist appeal. But its surroundings have noticeably evolved since the 1981 archival photo above. The 24-storey FortisBC Centre, built in 1992 with a design by WZMH Architects, is one of the most visible additions to the streetscape. Further to the north stands Living Shangri-La and Trump International Hotel and Tower, the two tallest buildings in the city, at respective heights of 201 and 188 metres. 

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