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The Vancouver Convention Centre's West Building, completed in 2009 in time for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, has since become a fixture of the local skyline. Conceived as a counterpart to the 1986-built East Building at Canada Place, another key venue of the 2010 Vancouver Games, the West Building added 220,000 square feet of convention space to the Centre, effectively tripling the amount of available space.
Designed by LMN Architects, the West Building features a host of public art installations inside and out, the most notable example of which is Inges Idee's The Drop, seen below, which was created as a playful reference to Vancouver's notoriously rainy climate. Unmistakable in its shape and bright blue colour, The Drop can be found at the edge of the waterfront walkway that lines the structure. The piece, along with the others, is part of the overall design and vision for how the provincially owned facility would interact with the public realm.
The changes to the local skyline have been equally dramatic since the West Building opened in 2009. The addition of the MNP Tower (far left), Fairmont Pacific Rim (immediately left of West Building), and Harbour Green Place (right of the Shaw Tower), as seen in the most recent image below, have served to bring a great deal of density and height to the area.
Today a popular destination for convention goers and special events, the West Building has been a success, its ground level flush with retail and dining options. The facility's prime waterfront location, just steps from downtown, Gastown, and the SkyTrain, make for a home run in terms of producing a convention space and public special events venue that can accommodate the needs of a modern vibrant city.
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