news | Tuesday December 14, 2010

Holiday Sale on Building the West

It is perhaps an obvious generalization, but during the past decade in particular, Vancouver has become recognizable for its succession of “affordable” condominiums climbing higher and higher, rather ironically juxtaposed with the not entirely faded memory of tent cities lining the former downtown core.

Stories this year, including tales of the somewhat eerie Olympic Village abodes guarded by giant synthetic birds, have included outrage by various communities about plans to build even more condo towers, forever altering the heart of neighbourhoods like the West End, where there is intense pressure to raise rents, especially for tenants in older apartments, which is an extension of what has already been happening to single-occupancy renters in the Downtown Eastside, for more than two decades.

Wasn’t it John Ruskin who suggested that when the utilitarianism of architecture overrides its aesthetic quality, this is the sign of a questionable society? The philosophical dilemma, moreover, is what do we remember about where we live, and what is worth preserving?

One lively conversation is about façadism, the tendency to keep the outer face of a building, while demolishing the innards. In fact, this image works as its own analogy, without further commentary. A while back, local heritage consultant Donald Luxton spoke to The Vancouver Review spoke about the city-wide façadism trend:

This is taxidermy, this is not heritage conservation. It’s just, literally, a show—putting a face on something. Someone else called it ‘putting the parsley on the developer’s plate.’ It indicates to me that there’s an inadequate heritage response to the very hot development cycle going on right now. Everything is getting crunched by this massive wave of development that is quite unprecedented. I mean, we haven’t seen anything like this since about 1912.

In her piece about the debate concerning structural heritage, VR Editor Gudrun Will indicates that Donald Luxton is a staunch heritage advocate who nevertheless sees issues from both sides in his line of work. While he understands the social and economic pressures at work, his feelings also reflect his expertise in, and love for, the province’s early architecture, knowledge that was formulated into one of Talon’s most beloved titles.

The winner of numerous awards, including the Heritage Canada Achievement Award (2003), the 2004 City of Vancouver Heritage Award, and the BC Book Prize, Donald Luxton‘s Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia offers 600 photographs and duotones, highlighting the successes and accomplishments of the early architects of British Columbia. This book is an excellent guide for learning to appreciate what we had done, and why it is worth preserving, not only in our memories and oral archives but also in reality.


In the spirit of the holiday season, we are offering Building the West for a limited time for $24.95.

Order a copy right away and receive a free poster, while quantities last. This is an excellent choice for gifting and makes a fine addition to any library.

Place your order through our secure website or call 1-888-445-4176.