1913 – Birk’s Building, Vancouver, British Columbia
On Nov. 10, 1913, Henry Birks & Co. opened its new building at Granville and Georgia Streets. Clad in tera cotta with base of British Columbia granite, it cost over $500,000 to construct. The 10,722-square-foot Birks jewelry store was on the main floor, and its mail order business on the second level. According to local newspaper reports “The entrance hall is finished in marble, with a vaulted ceiling of Caen marble. The upper floors are finished with tile floors, marble wainscotting and baseboards, while the finish of the offices is of oak with floors of British Columbia fir.” And the floors above the store were designed with offices “for discerning tenants.” with five floors of offices were set aside for doctors and dentists, with “special waste pipes conveniently placed in each of the 150 offices on these floors.” Demolished in early 1975 and was replaced by the 35-storey Scotia Tower.
“The main entrance is finished with panelled marble wainscotting and highly ornamental plaster ceiling of caen stone finish. The corridors are floored with terra cotta, and stair treads and base boards throughout the buihling are of marble. There are tiled lavatories for each sex on every floor. The woodwork throughout the building is of oak and the office floors of British Columbia fir. The structure is fireproof, being of reinforced concrete with terra cotta partition walls. Each floor is equipped with fire hose and two fire escapes, and metal windows throughout, which will close automatically in event of fire. The first five floors are specially laid out for doctors and dentists with necessary water, gas and electrical connections installed in the base boards. The Webster method of circulation steam heating is used with duplicate boilers. The vacuum cleaning system and mail chute and modern elevators are also installed. The first floor, ground floor and basement of the building are used by the owners as a jewelry store. The interior finishing of the ground and mezzanine floors being of marble, mahogiany and bronze.”
Construction, January 1918
Published March 5, 2026
