A survivor from 1909, Burns Block at 18 W Hastings St outlived its next-door neighbour the Pantages Theatre, a popular movie and vaudeville house.
On Google Maps you can make out the triangular shape of the building, caused partly by a rail line right-of-way (whose ghostly footprint can still be seen, cutting diagonally through several city blocks).
Until recently, you could rent a 236-square-foot micro-loft and live downtown for cheap in the building. In 2021, Burns Block was purchased by BC Housing for conversion into residences for women experiencing homelessness.
You might notice I really cheated on the perspective of this shot: the original was shot from a window in the building across the street, and I was on the ground.
John Bentley is an architectural photographer who has photographed the inside and outside of thousands of buildings around Vancouver. Using images from the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Archives he offers a glimpse of the past and present on his site .
