MacBlo renamed Arthur Erickson Place

The iconic MacMillan Bloedel Building, the brutalist concrete tower lovingly referred to in Vancouver as MacBlo or the waffle building, has become the namesake of one of its visionary architects, Arthur Erickson. In a ceremony on September 23, 2021, on the plaza of the midcentury tower, the MacMillan Bloedel Building was renamed by its ownership to Arthur Erickson Place.

Originally named after the forestry juggernaut, MacMillan Bloedel commissioned Arthur Erickson, and his then business partner Geoffrey Massey (Erickson/ Massey Architects), to design a bold new tower to house its operations, a building that would remain its headquarters until the company was sold to Weyerhaeuser in 1999. While the building will have a new name, and the original ownership has not occupied the building in over 22 years, MacMillan Bloedel will forever remain an important part of the historical context of this iconic structure.

For one week, starting September 23rd, nightly from 8:30pm to 10:00pm, a free digital presentation will be projected against the West Georgia Street face of the building (best viewed from across the street) in honour of the architect. Presented by Arthur Erickson Place with Go2 Productions.

Program Details

Erickson Revealed
September 23–29, 2021
Nightly from 8:30pm to 10:00pm PT
Arthur Erickson Place/ MacMillan Bloedel Building
1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

Presented by Arthur Erickson Place with Go2 Productions

In the News

• MacBlo Building to be renamed Arthur Erickson Place. September 27, 2021. Canadian Architect.
• MacBlo renamed for architect Arthur Erickson, John Mackie. September 23, 2021. The Vancouver Sun.
• Art and architecture merge on Vancouver’s towers – but is the cultural outreach more than illusion? Hadani Ditmars. September 22, 2021. The Art Newspaper.