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.

WCML Places: MacMillan Bloedel Building, 1968 – Erickson/ Massey Architects

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

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