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155 Water St

Where the past meets the future.

In Vancouver, buildings shoot up faster than most people can keep track of. Just travel to pretty much any part of the city, and you will stumble across some new construction. Unless you’re in historic Gastown, where most of the neighbourhood is made up of protected heritage buildings—many over a century old. In this area, new developments are rare if not non-existent. That is, until The Wilson Block at 155 Water Street, the first new office building to go up on Water Street in over 30 years.

Before officially breaking ground at this significant site, Low Tide knew that this rare development would have to be modern and cutting-edge to meet the needs of their future tenants while also honouring the history of the building. So, they teamed up with MCM, one of the premier architecture firms in Western Canada to help design this one-of-a-kind property.

Far from an ordinary design, the team first built the contemporary glass and concrete building that make up the bulk of the space, incorporating modern layouts and collaborative open-concept offices. Finally, attaching the two original early 20th century facades of the old Harper Warehouse and BC Plate Glass & Importing Co. to the front. As Dan Bock, Senior Development Manager at Low Tide, puts it, “The modern building behind really complements the historical facade so that the outside works with the rest of the neighbourhood. While the inside office space is incredibly functional. It’s not every day that you see a building that works so well inside and out. The building is a perfect blend of the past and the future.”

The unique office space is the new home of a large international tech company, which recently finished their special touches to the interior, including historical elements that pay homage to the charming neighbourhood it’s in. Dan notes that in his forty years, he’s never seen a tenant make as much of an effort to create a well-designed space that’s as beautiful as it is functional.

On the ground floor, the property also has two retail spaces. The first is Maison Kitsune, a world-renowned fashion and coffee shop concept known for serving up French-Japanese specialities like matcha financiers and shichimi togarashi seasoned croissants. While the second space will become the flagship store of Oak & Fort, one of Vancouver’s largest fashion and lifestyle brands, which is bound to draw even more of the city’s most fashion-forward to the area.

Just like the neighbourhood it calls home, there is nothing quite like The Wilson Block at 155 Water Street. It is a piece of Vancouver architectural history layered over a building made for the future.