Two months since our last update, and demolition crews have been busy making fast work out of bringing down the 42-storey Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson Street. Standing just a dozen or so storeys above grade, the once statuesque edifice has been reduced to a stump, its ground-level components similarly diminished as work continues. 

Landmark on Robson, demolition well underway, image by Forum contributor Roundabout

Set to be replaced by a duo of mixed-use residential condo and rental towers, the project known collectively as Landmark on Robson will deliver hundreds of new residents to the corner of Robson and Nicola Street in Vancouver's West End. Before construction can begin, however, the old hotel tower must be brought down, along with a handful of low-rise commercial structures that long occupied the streetscape down below. 

Landmark on Robson, demolition street view, image by Forum contributor Roundabout

The iconic Empire Landmark Hotel tower has lost about 30 storeys to date, its famous rotating restaurant space, located at the top of the tower, now a distant memory - leaving the city with but one such novelty restaurant at its disposal. A neighbourhood fixture for 45 years, the Empire Landmark Hotel was once heralded as a beacon of Vancouver's then burgeoning rebirth as a major metropolitan centre. 

Landmark on Robson, alternate street view, image by Forum contributor Roundabout

Nonetheless, the future of the site remains bright, the eventual construction and completion of two modern, steel-and-glass high-rises to breathe new life into the neighbourhood. 

SkyriseVancouver will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.