Dominion Building
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The Dominion Building, sometimes known as the Dominion Bank Building (originally Dominion Trust), is a building in Vancouver, Canada. Located on the edge of Gastown (207 West Hastings St), it was Vancouver's first steel-framed high-rise. At 53 m (175 ft), the fourteen-storey, Second Empire style building was the tallest building in the British Empire[1] upon its completion in 1910. Its architect was J.S. Helyer, who later died after falling off the staircase in the front of the building.
The financiers of the structure were the Counts von Alvensleben from Germany, who were active in Vancouver's financial scene at the time. It was generally held at the time that they were a front for the Kaiser's money, which carried the suggestion that the Empire's tallest building had been built by its greatest rival.
Today it is a provincially designated Class "A" heritage structure.
Owned by Newton Investments Limited, it was restored by restoration expert Read Jones Christofferson. The buildings current tenants include a film production company (Haddock), clothing designers, record labels and a Mexican restaurant (formerly Victory Café).
The Dominion Building sits across the street from Victory Square, site of the former provincial courthouse, which was relocated to Georgia Street in 1913. The Dominion Building was at the hub of the city's financial and legal district until that move.
