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2008 Top Ten Endangered Sites
Top 10 2008 |
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(Updated)
 Now over 75 years old, the venerable Burrard Bridge is one of Vancouver’s true landmarks.
This stunning structure, the ceremonial entrance to both downtown Vancouver and False Creek, has been evaluated as an 'A' on the City's Heritage Register. The Burrard Bridge, with its sculptural details, including intricately decorated towers and entrance pylons with flaming torches - a tribute to Canadian World War I Prisoners of War - is one of the only pure Art Deco bridges in the world. Opened in 1932, the bridge has remained substantially intact, except for the removal of its original light fixtures.
The current City of Vancouver’s re-purposing initiatives threaten to significantly compromise the Bridge’s original design. For years the City has been seeking ways to better accommodate cyclists; many options have been on the table including lane closures, improved use of the Granville Street Bridge, a separate cyclist and pedestrian bridge, and a bikeway under the bridge. Despite Heritage Vancouver’s support for all these options, the City has remained steadfast in selecting the widening of the Burrard Bridge at the roadbed level as its only option. Heritage Vancouver, Heritage Canada and worldwide Art Deco organizations have consistently spoken with one voice in opposing this option.
The City will vote as early as April on a consultant’s proposal to widen the bridge by about twenty feet with outriggers and shiny new metal railings, marooning the landmark entry pylons in a sea of pavement. If you have trouble imagining the impact of outriggers, picture “your grandmother with a stainless steel hula-hoop over her ball gown”. It is time for Vancouverites to let our city councilors know that we are opposed to spending at least $50 million to destroy one of our most iconic works of art.
Updates: View the ongoing updates for the Burrard Bridge here (opens in a pop-up window).
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| Summer, 1932; Taken from Sunset Beach, shooting East towards False Creek; Photo Heritage Vancouver, Private Collection |
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| July
6, 1932; Northside approaches to bridge, Burrard
& Pacific Streets; Photo courtesy the Vancouver
Public Library |
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June
27, 1932; View from NE Granville St & Pacific
St looking NW; Photo courtesy the Vancouver Public
Library |
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1, 1932; Looking NE. Note the original lamp standards
to the left of the photo, which once lined the bridge; Photo courtesy the Vancouver Public Library |
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2007; Same view as photo to the left, 75 years later; Photo Heritage Vancouver |
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| 1932; Looking NE towards downtown. Note the original lamp standards,
which once lined the bridge, helping to visually tie in
the entrance torches/pillars with the centre massing; Photo courtesy the Vancouver Public Library |
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Jan
30, 1932; Bridge under construction, looking
towards English Bay; Photo courtesy the Vancouver
Public Library |
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| 2007; Detail of the bridge's centre network of steel. The central piers were created to help serve as a gateway to Vancouver, and mask this steel structure; Photo Heritage Vancouver |
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1932; View looking towards English Bay; Photo courtesy the
Vancouver Public Library |
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| 2007; Both ends of the span have these large torch-like entrance pylons emulating flames. This was a tribute to Canadian World War I prisoners of war, who huddled around open fires in their prison camps, created by the bridge engineer, John Grant.; Photo Heritage Vancouver |
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2007; Detail of bridge showing the hull of a boat emerging from the centre massing. Busts of Captain George Vancouver and Sir Harry Burrard jut out above the boat hulls ; Photo Heritage Vancouver |
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