Vancouver Harbour Centre

One of the most popular landmarks in Vancouver, the Harbour Centre building is a fabulous skyscraper in the central business district of the city. It’s 28 stories high, capped by a 100-foot tall pylon that, when included in the building’s height, makes the entire building 581 feet high. It was designed by WZMH Architects, who also designed the Golden Sail Plaza in Shanghai, China.

The main attraction of Harbour Centre is what’s known as the Vancouver Lookout. It’s the top of the building, officially opened in August 13, 1977 by the first man to step on the moon, Neil Armstrong, whose footprint is imprinted into cement and is on display on the viewing/observation deck. The circular viewing deck provides an unobstructed, 360 degree view of Downtown Vancouver, and on clear days, visitors can see Mount Baker in Washington State with the naked eye. One of the unique things about the Lookout is the outside glass elevator that gets you there in about 50 seconds. The Vancouver Lookout is open all year around, as the city has a fairly temperate climate for its northern location. There’s also a restaurant called The Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, which operates independently from the Vancouver Lookout, which is one of 3 revolving restaurants in the city.

Harbour Centre also houses The Armstrong Gallery, named after Armstrong, and features exhibits by local artists, which are rotated every month and are offered for sale by the artists.

There are several hotels in close range of Harbour Centre, ranging in prices from affordable at the Ramada Limited Downtown Vancouver, to more expensive at the Pan Pacific Vancouver. Other hotels nearby are: Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel; The Fairmont Waterfront; Hotel Le Soleil; Metropolitan Hotel; L’Hermitage; The Westin Grand Vancouver; The Georgian Court Hotel; and the historic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.