Reflections on the Qube

The first photograph below, dated April 15, 1976, shows the south face of the West Coast Transmission Building, with reflections of other buildings visible on its glass surface. In the background, Stanley Park and Coal Harbour can be seen.

The fifteen-story structure was completed in 1969 as the headquarters of Westcoast Transmission Co. It was later renovated in 2005 into an apartment building and renamed The Qube. The building is located at 1333 West Georgia Street.

The construction process began with the center block, which was built first. Then, starting from the top, each floor was added around it. The top section of the building's center block is supported by steel cables that hold the floors in place.

Despite its unconventional design, the building is considered one of the most earthquake-resistant structures in Vancouver.

Considering the parallel alignment of the building's two sides with the edges of the frame, I conclude that the photograph must have been taken from an elevated position, likely from a location some distance away, such as Alberni Street, which is one block south of West Georgia Street. In January 2025, I could not see the Qube from Alberni Street due to a high-rise apartment building sitting between Alberni and West Georgia Streets, blocking the view. So I took the second photograph below from the sidewalk across from The Qube on West Georgia Street, using a wide-angle lens. Had I had access to one of the apartments on the building's 3rd or 4th floors behind me, I would have been able to capture a better angle.

Here is the West Coast Transmission Building, or the Qube, as seen in 1976 and 2025 with reflections of different buildings on its surface.

April 15, 1976
City of Vancouver Archives
Reference Code: CVA 293-061

January 18, 2025
© Ozgun Ulusoy