Preserving Our Heritage | Dominion Building, Vancouver, BC

Dominion Building, Vancouver, BC

Knowing RJC's reputation for building restoration that respects the integrity of heritage structures, when Vancouver's landmark "first skyscraper" required extensive repairs, its owners came to us for help.

Vancouver's first steel-framed high-rise, the fourteen-storey Dominion Building was, upon its completion in 1910, the highest building in the British Empire. Today it is a provincially designated Class "A" heritage structure.

Over the years, water had penetrated the terra cotta and brick façade, corroding the structural steel frame of the building. Knowing RJC's reputation for building restoration that respects the integrity of heritage structures, the owners, Newton Investments, came to us for help.

Using mountain climbing equipment on the building's exterior, we did a comprehensive survey, which revealed severe corrosion damage to the steel frame on the 11th floor and widespread deterioration of the building's masonry cladding.

To address the structural damage, we completely removed the steel wind bracing on the 11th floor and replaced it with a new reinforced concrete beam. We also installed control joints in brick pilasters at every floor to allow for the building's movement.

In tackling the highly visible deterioration of the building's cladding we reconstructed the damaged terra cotta from existing fragments, thus allowing for maximum retention of the original heritage fabric. We also re-anchored the exterior masonry to the frame and re-pointed the joints to prevent future water damage.

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Owner: Newton Investments Ltd.

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