Exploring Vancouver: The Essential Architectural Guide

J.A. Love is an associate professor of environmental design at the
University of Calgary.

While many architectural guides cover high-style buildings in greater
depth, the authors of this volume have chosen to go beyond stylistic
highlights to address the fabric of the city. They include a broad range
of building types and cityscape elements, with the criteria extending
from excellence of design, representativeness of a particular period, or
method of construction and visual interest to cultural, historical, or
social significance. The reader will find not only corporate offices and
churches, but also bridges, warehouses, and gas stations. The tradeoff
is that each entry is limited to a single photograph and a few
sentences. A similarly concise style guide may be found at the back of
the book, along with a glossary of architectural terms. The building
descriptions are organized geographically by dividing the city into 14
areas. Each section is preceded by a commentary on the development
history of the area. Maps with numeric codes show the locations of the
buildings, monuments, and other features that are presented. The 534
entries in this book make its titular reference to exploration apt.
After finding and learning about half of the buildings in each of these
areas, one would know the fabric of Vancouver well.