Harbour Centre Tower

Mid-century brutalist buildings

A Vancouver landmark since it went up in 1977, the Harbour Centre Tower was designed by the Webb, Zerafa, Menkes and Housden partnership employing the then, more oft-used, mid-70s Brutalist style.

Its smooth unadorned concrete exterior holds two glass elevators and stands 28-stories tall – more than 40 if you include its distinctive flying saucer-shaped topper which holds The Vancouver Lookout and a revolving restaurant, Top of Vancouver.  At over 550 feet, it was once the tallest building in the city.

Harbour Centre Tower was opened in 1977 by special guest, NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, who left his footprint in the cement, implying this tower was one giant leap for… Vancouver?

Bonus Building: If you’re a fan of tall buildings with revolving restaurants on top you won’t want to miss the Empire Landmark Hotel at 1400 Robson Street in the West End. Designed in 1970 by Lort & Lort, this 42-story building is another Brutalist gem accented with blue Italian tile and topped off by the Cloud 9 revolving restaurant where the views are truly breathtaking (DEMOLISHED IN 2020).

Visited 6713 times, 1 Visits today

Tagged In Architecture,brutalist,Building,cloud 9,empire landmark,harbour centre,lookout,MCM,Mid Century Modern,Modernism,modtraveler,modtraveler.net,revolving restaurant,top of vancouver,Tower and Vancouver

Related Listings

The West End

The West End, Vancouver, BC, Canada

View More Details

Mid-century residential buildings Located southwest of downtown and bordered by the waterfront, Georgia Street, Burrard Street and Denman Street – although historically, everything “West of Denman” is also considered the West End… Read more…

West Vancouver Museum

604-925-7295

680 17th Street, West Vancouver, BC, Canada

View More Details

Mid-century architecture museums Through their educational programs and compelling exhibitions, the West Vancouver Museum’s mandate to “foster awareness and understanding of art, culture and history” has always been at the… Read more…