1939 – Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Architect: Archibald & Schofield
Construction started in 1928 by Canadian National Railways, but the Great Depression delayed the opening of the third Hotel Vancouver until 1939. Money to complete the hotel was finally provided by the Canadian government in 1937 as an unemployment relief project in the dark days of the Depression. CNR and CPR decided to pool their resources on the hotel, closing CPR’s Vancouver Hotel of 1916. This Chateau inspired hotel is now considered one of Canada’s great railway hotels. An eclectic design, Hotel Vancouver also incorporates Renaissance architectural detailings, gargoyles, and relief sculptures. At completion it was the tallest building in Vancouver until 1972.
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Published April 12, 2026
