Sun Tower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sun Tower is a Beaux-Arts, 17 storey (82 metres/270 feet) tall building in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is known for its large, green, "copper" dome on the top of the tower, actually painted green to imitate weathered copper cladding. Also nine naked muses, the "nine maidens" supporting the cornice line can be seen. The terracotta for this building, including the ladies, was made in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England by Gibbs and Canning Limited.
Parts of the TV series The Crow: Stairway to Heaven were filmed here.
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[edit] History
The Sun Tower was commissioned by L. D. Taylor to house his newspaper, the Vancouver World. It was designed by architect W. T. Whiteway, who also designed the original Woodward's building nearby. The intention was that the building would be visible throughout the World's circulation area as the tallest building in the city. John Coughland and Sons of Vancouver had fabricated 1,250 tons of steel for construction. When it was completed in 1912, it was called the World Building and was the tallest building in the British Empire at 82 metres, surpassing the previous tallest building just around the corner, the Dominion Building. For two years, it was the tallest building in Canada until Toronto's 20-story Optima Business Centre opened in 1914. When the Vancouver Sun bought the building in 1937, it was renamed the Sun Tower. The Sun newspaper has long sinced relocated, but the building has retained the name. Its address is 100 West Pender Street. In 1918, droves of Vancouverites turned out in droves to watch as Harry Gardiner, the "Human Fly", climbed up the outside of the building.
[edit] Occupants
- Vancouver World – 1912-1917
- Bekins Moving and Storage - 1924-1937
- Vancouver Sun – 1937-1965
- Geological Survey of Canada – 1968-1996
- Navarik Corp. – 2001-2005