IBM BUILDING

Firm: unknown

Address: 606 4 Street SW

Date of final plans: 1967

Status: standing as built

The story of the IBM Building goes back to sometime in the 1950s when Dominion Construction of Vancouver, controlled by the Bentall family, purchased the entire block bounded by 6th/7th Avenues and 3rd/4th Streets SW. In 1958 Dominion built the first half of the Bentall Building on the south side of the block; in 1959 it built the parking garage on the north side; and in 1964 it completed in the second half of the Bentall Building. In June 1960 Dominion sold the building and the property to Great West Life Assurance. In 1967 Great West set out to develop the northwest corner of the block, which was the only remaining vacant area. Great West partnered on the project with Dominion, who acted as the builder.

To design the new 14-storey tower Great West hired Frank Musson, who at the same time was designing the Bentall Centre in Vancouver for Dominion. Musson was hired in 1960 as the staff architect at Dominion and in 1965 established his own practice. The IBM Building bears a remarkable similarity to towers 1 and 2 of the Bentall Centre.