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Though the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants have left the building, taking about three dozen reserved dates with them, the Pacific Coliseum still has a packed schedule this year. As one of the busiest venues in North America, with typically half of the year's calendar booked for everything from hockey to trade and consumer shows, the loss of its biggest user won't spell the end of the arena itself.
Designed by W. K. Noppe in 1966, the building's simple geometric shape and distinctive white roof were home to the Vancouver Canucks from 1970 to 1995. After breaking ground in 1966, the building cost $6 million to construct ($40.5 million in 2017 dollars), with completion marked in 1968. A huge gallery of photos from the City of Vancouver Archives captures the construction from all angles, including above, showing the assembly of the circular labyrinth of steel spanning the concrete structure.
The Pacific Coliseum underwent renovations in 1984 and again in 2007 in preparation for its role as a skating venue during the 2010 Winter Olympics. With a current seating capacity of 15,713, the building proved too large for the Giants' dwindling audience, so the team's right-sizing was only a matter of time. In 2013, the City of Vancouver declared the venue a heritage site.
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