The iconic concrete tower at 1075 West Georgia — designed for forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel — has changed hands.
KingSett Capital, Crestpoint Real Estate Investments, and Reliance Properties announced today they are completing the purchase of 1075 West Georgia.
The tower was designed by Erickson-Massey Architects, a partnership of Arthur Erickson and Geoffrey Massey.
Erickson, a prominent Vancouver-based architect and master planner, only designed nine office buildings out of his vast, global portfolio of over 700 designs. Two of those office buildings are in downtown Vancouver.
MacMillan Bloedel ceased to exist in 1999 when the company sold to U.S.-based forestry giant Weyerhauser, and the building has been home to a variety of tenants ever since.
Jon Stovell, president and CEO of Reliance Properties, says it was a rare opportunity to acquire an iconic downtown Vancouver building.
“Seldom do esteemed office buildings go on the market, let alone a multi-award-winning building designed by Arthur Erickson. Reliance Properties has the largest heritage portfolio in Western Canada, so to be able to add this one to our roster is truly an honour. The ownership group looks forward to preserving and enhancing this heritage icon.”
The 26-storey class A office building includes six retail units on the ground and mezzanine floors, as well as an adjacent six-level parkade with 226 stalls. It was previously owned by QuadReal Property Group.
Canada’s Historic Places registry says the heritage value of the former MacMillan Bloedel building lies primarily in the construction technique, which highlighted the building’s exposed concrete surfaces and clean lines.
“The MacMillan Bloedel Building suggests the tapering verticality of the west coast rain forest, as reflected by the paintings of Emily Carr, which were a source of inspiration to Erickson. Erickson was also influenced by the Japanese love for surfaces that express the nature of material. The building and its plaza were conceived as a continuous whole, with concrete floor and wall finishes on both exterior and interior. The MacMillan Bloedel Building is a prime example of the unique blending of Modernist and Far-eastern aesthetics.”
Other notable work by Arthur Erickson includes:
- Vancouver Law Courts
- Simon Fraser University
- UBC Museum of Anthropology
- Vancouver Art Gallery
- Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington
- Canadian Chancery in Washington, DC
- Canadian Pavilion at Expo ‘70 in Osaka, Japan
