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127 East Pender Street

127 East Pender Street, Vancouver, Colombie-Britannique, V6A, Canada

Reconnu formellement en: 2003/01/14

Exterior view of 127 East Pender Street; City of Vancouver, 2004
Front facade
Exterior view of 127 East Pender Street; City of Vancouver, 2004
Facade details
Exterior view of 127 East Pender Street; City of Vancouver, 2004
View of internal courtyard

Autre nom(s)

127 East Pender Street
Lee Building
Lee Association Building

Liens et documents

Date(s) de construction

1907/01/01 à 1908/01/01

Inscrit au répertoire canadien: 2007/07/25

Énoncé d'importance

Description du lieu patrimonial

The historic place at 127 East Pender Street in Vancouver's Chinatown includes the original freestanding facade, the modern building behind it, the open courtyard on the west side, and the parking spaces off the rear lane.

Valeur patrimoniale

127 East Pender Street is significant for demonstrating the high civic value placed on heritage conservation in Chinatown and the use of planning tools to achieve it in the years immediately after its designation as an historic area by the Province of British Columbia in 1971.

When the original building, constructed in 1907-08 and subsequently altered, was severely damaged by fire in 1972, the City and its Historic Area Advisory Board initially advocated reconstruction but then, because of building code constraints, accepted the restoration of the facade as a free-standing frame and the construction of a new building behind it, which was completed in 1973 to designs by Henriquez and Todd. This municipal intervention reflects the increased value placed on the 'Chinese-ness' of Chinatown and the story of the Chinese in Canada, a trend seen at the national level in the reduction in discrimination and the adoption of federal policy on multiculturalism.

The facade continues to evoke the memory of the original three-storey building, whose recessed balconies made it an early and characteristic example of Chinatown's distinctive architecture. Typical of uses along Pender Street, the building was occupied over the years by a number of importers, retail merchants, restaurants, and clan associations.

The building is also valued for its association with prominent Chinese businessman, Ron Bick Lee, and the Lee Association. Lee arrived in Victoria at the age of 18 in 1910, working at a local restaurant in Victoria's Chinatown. After moving to Vancouver in 1916, Lee worked in various restaurants, hotels and import stores. He opened the Foo Hung Company in this building in 1921. His import-export business went so well that he expanded into the greenhouse business, operating the Grandview Greenhouse on 50 acres in East Vancouver during the Depression. Like other successful businessmen, Lee was actively involved in the community through different associations, including the Chinese Public School, the Lee Association, Chinatown Lion's Club and the Toi San Benevolent Society.

Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Éléments caractéristiques

The character-defining elements of 127 Pender Street include:
- The elements of the restored facade
- The architectural treatment of the front elevation of the infill behind the façade, which refers to the character of the earlier building in the continuity of floor levels, use of recessed balconies, and broad glazing
- The pattern of use over the years, which illustrates the characteristic mix of small businesses, clubs, and societies that served the Chinese community

Reconnaissance

Juridiction

Colombie-Britannique

Autorité de reconnaissance

Ville de Vancouver

Loi habilitante

Vancouver Charter, art.593

Type de reconnaissance

Désignation patrimoniale

Date de reconnaissance

2003/01/14

Données sur l'histoire

Date(s) importantes

1972/01/01 à 1972/01/01
1973/01/01 à 1973/01/01

Thème - catégorie et type

Économies en développement
Commerce et affaires

Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction

Actuelle

Historique

Communauté
Local pour association fraternelle, organisation sociale ou de bienfaisance
Commerce / Services commerciaux
Magasin ou commerce de vente au détail

Architecte / Concepteur

Henriquez and Todd

Constructeur

s/o

Informations supplémentaires

Emplacement de la documentation

City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program

Réfère à une collection

Identificateur féd./prov./terr.

DhRs-143

Statut

Édité

Inscriptions associées

s/o

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