The skyline has a futuristic flair that includes a “flying saucer” sitting atop the Harbour Centre tower in downtown Vancouver.
Up on the saucer, there is a revolving restaurant, and the Vancouver lookout with 360-degree-views of the city. The history of that location stretches back to the 1920s, but it achieved its current form in 1977, when Neil Armstrong inaugurated this sci-fi Brutalist vision of the future.
After checking tickets, staff usher visitors into the elevator, wish them an enjoyable visit, and send them several hundred feet up into the air.
The elevator rises, and the city recedes at a rapid pace. After about 40 seconds, at an altitude of 480 feet or thereabouts, it comes to a stop.
The doors open. More staff welcome and guide you to the start of the exhibit, where this large map of the downtown area is found. It shows the different neighbourhoods visible from the tower.
The city spreads out below the glass windows of the lookout. Graphic panels around the tower display information about the visible areas around.
From up there, you can see the city spreading outwards as if from a radial centre. Familiar neighbourhoods take on a new look from that great height.
The city's architecture takes on new forms.
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A few clouds rolled across the mountains for good effect. It had rained earlier in the day, but the skies began to clear in the evening and casted a soft light.
Canada Place sails look majestic from that location with a cruise ship on the harbour.
To the east, the Port of Vancouver hugs the shore that is a mix of industrial and residential areas.
Even BC Place stadium made an appearance visible among the glass towers like an alien spaceship in the middle of downtown.
I kept walking around the lookout, marveling at the sights it offered. Each view revealed magnificent scenes such as the Holy Rosary Cathedral nestled among buildings, streets, and parking lots like an architectural echo of a distant time.
It was great seeing the city this way. All those familiar places took on a new look. Not bad for a small metropolis tucked in a corner of the western lands.
Thank you for visiting!
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