Harbour Centre

The architectural silhouette of this retail and office complex is undoubtedly the most recognizable in the city. Featuring futuristic exterior glass elevators and a revolving restaurant, the tower was designed in 1977 by the architectural firm Webb Zerafa Menkes and Housden, in a similar fashion to their CN Tower. It was inaugurated by the astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Refurbished in 1990 by Aitken Wreglesworth and Assocciates, the former Spencer’s Department store neighboring the landmark tower was added to the complex and now lodges SFU’s downtown campus.

The famous Art Deco store was constructed in 1926 for the Spencer family, renowned Welsh storeowners who established their business in Victoria in 1873. It was amongst McCarter and Nairne’s first large commission. It showcased the firm’s ability to financially streamline space planning and use the newest technologies, which eventually became their trademark. The esthetic lines of the store would foreshadow the style of their celebrated Marine Building a few years later.

Source

Changing Vancouver blog (Atkin and Coupland), Dictionary of Canadian Architects, Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide (Kalman), Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia (Luxton), Vancouver Architecture blog (Priebe)