Two of the biggest architectural additions to Downtown Vancouver in recent memory are featured in this edition of Throwback Thursday, which recalls the not-too-distant past of 2014. In only three years, the view from Robson and Thurlow streets towards the harbour has dramatically changed. The transformation is a testament to the strength and reputation of Vancouver on the international stage.

Robson and Thurlow, image by Flickr user Bernt Rostad via Creative Commons

In July 2014, construction on 745 Thurlow was about halfway to completion. Green-tinted glazing was enveloping the concrete floors of the canted office complex designed by Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership. In the background, a sliver of the under-construction Trump International Hotel and Tower was visible, demonstrating the distinctive curve that defined the 63-storey tower's design. But the view from the intersection was still very much dominated by the 201-metre-tall Living Shangri-La, which was completed in 2008.

Robson and Thurlow, image retrieved from Google Street View

In the 2016 Google Street View capture above, the makeup of the neighbourhood has definitely changed. By this time, construction on 745 Thurlow had been complete since late 2015, and Trump Tower's exterior was mostly finished, with the exception of some ground-level fine-tuning. The two buildings seem to bleed into another from this angle due to the shade of the glass, but a closer examination of the scene reveals the different massing strategies employed. Together, the two developments have greatly contributed to the mixed-use fabric of the downtown core, supplying additional office, residential and hotel space in one of North America's most vibrant areas.

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