The original Canadian Pacific Railway Station, which was built in 1884 and served as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway, was replaced in 1913 with The Station that resides today. The neo-classical building was design by Montreal Architects Barott, Blackader and Webster. The Station currently serves the SkyTrain, West Coast Express and SeaBus connecting Municipalities of Metro Vancouver. It is one of the largest intermodal transit hubs in North America and serves about 70,000 people per day. It was designated a Municipal Heritage Site by the City of Vancouver in the mid-1970s.

The multi-phased project included selective removal and repair of the damaged and deteriorated brick and ornamental terra-cotta masonry found on the building. The masonry damage was caused by the expansion of corroding tertiary structural steel used to support the masonry. The design team and contractors went to great lengths to conduct the conservation work in conformance with the ‘Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada’. The primary treatment of conservation was Preservation; however, the project also utilized methods of Rehabilitation and Restoration on select elements during the conservation effort. Much of the ornamental terra-cotta and bricks were salvaged, repaired and reinstalled. Where the terra-cotta was too damaged to be practically repaired, new units were cast using molds of the originals. In some instances new tertiary structural elements were added to support the reinstalled terra-cotta. The work included the upper level terra-cotta cornices on the south, east and west elevations and the prominent terra-cotta balustrade on the north elevation. During the conservation several layers of red paint were removed from the brick on the three secondary façades exposing the beautiful natural variegation of the original red brick. Following the replacement of the masonry elements, the brick was treated with a water repellant and the terra-cotta received a mineral coating matching the original colour and textures.

Glade Schoenfeld