In 2014, UCW opened its West Pender Campus in The London Building, a historic office building in the heart of downtown Vancouver.
Since moving into The London Building, UCW completed a major reconfiguration to the lobby, significant improvements to the first and second floors, and renovations to other floors to expand the number of classrooms and add additional amenities for students, faculty and staff.
The campus is steps away from public transit, including the Waterfront SkyTrain Station, bus routes and the SeaBus terminal. The lively and diverse neighbourhood is full of restaurants, stores, entertainment options, shopping centres and gym facilities.
Many of the world’s biggest companies have offices within walking distance of our West Pender Campus, providing students with unparalleled access to a network of prospective employers.
The London Building’s history in Vancouver dates back to 1912. Constructed during the city’s pre-Great War building boom, it has all the modern amenities and conveniences. Many of the building’s interior and exterior features have heritage protection.
The Edwardian-style commercial building was built for the London and British North American Company and designed by the architectural firm Somervell & Putnam, which also designed other prominent commercial buildings around Vancouver.
The London Building’s design features include an embellished cornice, decorative coursing and medallions at the upper levels, and a richly ornamented iron storefront at street level.
The building is clad in Haddington Island stone and includes marble trim. The quarry started operating in 1896 and is not far from Vancouver Island’s Port McNeill. Other prominent buildings with stone from the same quarry include Vancouver City Hall, the BC Legislature in Victoria and the Hotel Vancouver.
The original banking hall on the main floor is massive and includes double-height proportions. The understated detail in the moulded plasterwork of the coffered ceilings and floral ornament to the column capitals reinforce the grandeur.
The original open stairwell remains intact and runs the full height of the building. It includes gray green Missisquoi marble wainscot from Quebec, with curved end panels, marble treads, cast iron risers, balusters and newel posts.
- A Cutler Mailing System mailbox for Royal Mail Canada still sits on the first floor. A mail chute runs the length of the stairwell. Letters could be dropped from any floor in the building for collection by the mailman.Ornamental cast metal surrounds each elevator station, including the basement stations, and the original vault remains in the UCW library.At more than a century old, heritage building provides students with an inspiring environment for learning.Take a virtual tour of UCW’s West Pender Campus.
