Harbour Centre

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Harbour Centre at night.

Harbour Centre is a notable skyscraper in the central business district of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The "Lookout" tower atop the office building makes it one of the tallest structures in Vancouver and a prominent landmark on the city's skyline. With its 360 degree viewing deck, it also serves as a top tourist attraction, offering a physically unobstructed view of the city.

Location of Harbour Centre in Metro Vancouver

Designed by WZMH Architects, the building has 28 stories. Its structural height is 146 meters (481 feet), making it one of the tallest office buildings in the city (2007). However, the height of the ornamental pylon at the top is often included as part of the building's overall pinnacle height, arriving at a figure of 177 meters (581 feet). The building is sometimes promoted as British Columbia's tallest, measured from Cordova Street to the tip of the spire.

Harbour Centre is located at 555 West Hastings Street in Downtown Vancouver. It is steps away from Waterfront Station subway, a major multi-modal transit hub which serves as the Downtown Vancouver terminal for various TransLink operations such as SeaBus, West Coast Express, SkyTrain metro, the future Canada Line metro and buses.

Simon Fraser University operates its downtown Harbour Centre campus in the adjoining Spencer building. The Consulate General of Italy is also a major tenant at the building.

The downtown Simpsons-Sears department store was located here before it closed in the 1980s. There is also a red Christmas tree on the spire that lights up during the holiday season.

[edit] Tourist attraction

The Vancouver Lookout tourist attraction, located atop the Harbour Centre business building, was officially opened on August 13, 1977 by Neil Armstrong, whose footprint was imprinted onto cement and today is on display on the viewing/observation deck.

The circular viewing deck provides an unobstructed view of Downtown Vancouver and its surroundings. On clear days, visitors can see Mount Baker in Washington State with the naked eye.

Besides the observation deck, the tower also features the "Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, one of three completely revolving restaurants remaining in the city.

[edit] Gallery

Harbour Centre, as seen from Waterfront Station downtown.	From the Burrard Inlet.	From Gastown.	From Dunsmuir Street.
From Victory Square.

[edit] See also

List of Vancouver's 10 tallest skyscrapers

[edit] External links

v • d • e Landmarks in Metro Vancouver

Alex Fraser Bridge \| BC Place Stadium \| Beatty Street Drill Hall \| Burrard Street Bridge \| Canada Place \| Capilano Suspension Bridge \| Central Heat Distribution \| Chinatown Dominion Building \| Fairmont Hotel Vancouver \| Fort Langley \| Gastown \| Golden Village \| Granville Island \| Grouse Mountain \| Gulf of Georgia Cannery \| H. R. MacMillan Space Centre Harbour Centre \| International Buddhist Temple \| Lions Gate Bridge \| Marine Building \| Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage \| Queen Elizabeth Park \| Robson Square \| Science World \| Sinclair Centre Stanley Park (including the Vancouver Aquarium) \| Sun Tower \| Sylvia Hotel \| Vancouver City Hall \| Vancouver Public Library