| Dominion Building | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Interactive map of Dominion Building | |
| Alternative names | Dominion Trust Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Commercial offices |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Location | 207West Hastings Street Vancouver,British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°16′57″N123°06′36″W / 49.2825°N 123.11°W /49.2825; -123.11 |
| Construction started | 1906 |
| Completed | 1910 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 44.8 m (147 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | J.S. Helyer and Son |
| References | |
| [1][2][3] | |
TheDominion Building (originallyDominion Trust Building) is acommercial building inVancouver,British Columbia, Canada. Located on the edge ofGastown (207 West Hastings St), it was Vancouver's first steel-framed high-rise.[4] Its architect wasJohn S. Helyer,[5] who is said to have died after falling off the staircase in the front of the building, though this is an urban legend.[6]
The financier of the structure was the CountAlvo von Alvensleben from Germany, who was active in Vancouver's financial scene at the time. It was known generally that von Alvensleben was one of the Kaiser's godsons. It was held at the time that he was a front for theKaiser's money, which carried the suggestion that the Empire's tallest building had been built by its greatest rival, a rumour which disregards the fact that the tallest building in the Empire was in fact the Trader’s Bank Building in Toronto, completed in 1906 at 55.39m in height.
Today it is a provincially designated Class "A" heritage structure.
Owned byNewton Investments Limited, it was restored by restoration expert Read Jones Christofferson. The building's current tenants include a film production company (Haddock), a law firm, clothing designers, record labels,antiquarian booksellers,Kokoro Dance, professional web developers, marketing agency, Bowery Creative, the office of theGreen Party of Vancouver, a dentist, non-profit organizations such asLiving Oceans Society and Fair Trade Vancouver and aLebanese restaurant, Nuba.
The Dominion Building sits across the street fromVictory 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.
The backside of the building (containing the emergency staircases) and Cambie Street was filmed during the street scenes ofThe Neverending Story. It can be seen from Water Street.
The Dominion Building can also be seen at the end ofJennifer Lopez's 2023 film,The Mother, as she looks down intoVictory Square from the 14th floor, nearing the end of the film.
The Dominion Building, as well as other elements of Victory Square, were filmed for scenes in an abandoned city inBattlestar Galactica.
The initial rooftop chase scene fromBlade: Trinity was shot at the Dominion building.[citation needed]
The 2012 TV showAlcatraz also used this as a location in the opening episode, although the program was set in San Francisco, much of the location work was done in Vancouver. The Dominion building can also be seen in the background later in the series when a landmine is found in Victory Square.
Can Lit. authorTimothy Taylor. maintains a writing office in this building.[citation needed]
InThe NeverEnding Story (film), Building is seen in closing scene, whenBastian is flying withFalkor, to get some revenge over the kids.
