Overview
Address
639 Commercial St, Vancouver BC
Neighbourhood
Grandview-Woodland
type
Commercial
Protection & Recognition
- M: Municipal Protection
Description
The innovative architectural refurbishment of this historic venue is a testimony to its enduring importance to the community. Originally designed in 1913 by the architect J. McCarter as the Alcazar theatre, the two-storey structure boasts an orchestra pit and is considered to be amongst the very few remaining venues in the city that has a fly tower and traditional proscenium stage.
The addition of an elegant Art Deco ticket booth celebrated the venue’s reopening in 1940 as the York Theatre. Visionary new owners saved it from demolition in 2008, and had the building modernized by Henriquez Partners Architects. Featuring an impressive glass wall, the lobby and theatregoers can be seen by passersby on the streets, symbolically foreshadowing the performances inside. The red, locally sourced tiles meanwhile, are meant to represent the curtains.
Source
City of Vancouver, A Saved Fragment, Architecture Magazine (Hames), York Theatre online (Henriquez), Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide (Kalman, 2012), Newly Refurbished York Theatre Opens on the Drive, Westender Magazine (Perkins)
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