[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Changing City

No, Tip Top commissioned the design for their new store in 1948. They had been in the city since the 1920s, and this was their first purpose-built premises. They hired Charles Bentall to design and build it - he was an engineer, not an architect, and his Dominion Construction company were the builders.

I'm not sure why the Archives have the Eaton reference, but Tip Top were independent, based in Toronto. The link is to the interior of the 1948 store - it's also shown in newspaper articles from the store opening. Tip Top bought out rival tailors William Dick in the 1950s and sold this building off in 1955, moving across the street.

There's a longer version of the story on the Changing Vancouver blog.

Such a cool design for a purpose-built retail store. I suspect most, like me, assumed it had been a movie theatre.