East Asiatic House

Mid-century modern buildings

When called upon to design a new downtown office building in the early 1960s, rather than go full-on high-rise, architect Gerald Hamilton designed a more intimate 8-story complex; a cluster of three towers (1 low and 2 mid-rise) artfully finished in white marble resting on green arched columns above a raised courtyard. He adorned nice minimalist embellishments on its facade too, very effective in creating depth, texture and shadow.

Combining the design styles of Brutalism and New Formalism – a break away movement which combined modernist techniques with classical elements such as arches, patterns and refined adornments – Hamilton would later incorporate these principals into his plans for the iconic H.R. MacMillan Planetarium.

The East Asiatic House opened in 1963 is one of our favorite buildings in Vancouver.

Visited 5644 times, 4 Visits today

Tagged In Architecture,BC,Building,East Asiatic House,gerald hamilton,MCM,Mid Century Modern,Modernism,modtraveler,modtraveler.net,new formalism,Retro,Vancouver and Vintage

Related Listings

BC Binning Mural

586 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

View More Details

Mid-century art/mid-century banks Tucked away above rows of greeting cards inside a busy downtown Vancouver drugstore at Granville & Dunsmuir streets endures a visually gripping mid-century mosaic mural by renowned Canadian artist &… Read more…

West of Denman

Various Locations, Vancouver, BC, Canada

View More Details

Mid-century residential buildings From streamline moderne to dingbats to high-rises (including the Ocean Towers) and everything in between, the seventeen square block area “West of Denman” – bordered by Stanley Park,… Read more…