HBC Olympic Store in Downtown Vancouver

mr.x · #1 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:36 AM**

I heard the exterior banners are up and they are quite impressive. Hopefully someone can take some pics of those.

Anyhow, the full 20,000 square foot Olympic Store opens on October 1st. And it's massive:

HBC also has a new website in time for this.

nova9 · #2 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 9:46 AM**

looks awesome!! thanks for this.

berrypicker · #3 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 3:41 PM**

cool!

johnjimbc · #4 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:10 PM**

Here's a pic from today, as they continue to work on putting more of the banner panels in place:

My photo taken this morning.

Yume-sama · #5 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:14 PM**

Jesus, 20000 sq. ft? How many cups and postcards can they sell?!

Will they be selling other Countries merchandise? Like... USA jerseys... Sweden jerseys, etc.?

mr.x · #6 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnjimbc

Here's a pic from today, as they continue to work on putting more of the banner panels in place:

My photo taken this morning.

That looks amazing!!!

And to think that the entire city will be covered with these in a few months time...

Yume-sama · #7 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:20 PM**

I can't see the photo

Nevermind, on Google Chrome I can. It does look cool!

Is that the view from your apartment

?

mr.x · #8 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:22 PM**

I'd like to think the Royal Bank Tower(s) and perhaps the Hyatt too will be draped with one of these massive banners.

Yume-sama · #9 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 8:24 PM**

Too bad Sears isn't a sponsor

johnjimbc · #10 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 9:04 PM**

yeah, that's the view I have of it so I'm psyched

danby · #11 Posted **Sep 27, 2009, 10:20 PM**

wow this is gunna be huge!!!

johnjimbc · #12 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 1:54 PM**

I don't know it they worked all night last evening, but they worked well into the night. They were still working on it when I went to bed just before midnight. I wonder if it's not taking more time than they expected.

They haven't finished all the ones on the Seymour side (a couple are still missing). I suppose that might be by design. The pattern of the current panels on that side is geometrical. . . a pattern of 6 panels, 1 original facade, 1 panel, 1 original facade, then finishing with 6 panels. If I were doing the design like that on purpose, though, I would have put the one panel that just shows the Olympic rings (all the others show athletes in action) in the middle, but it's not. So my guess is they do still have two more panels to complete on that side.

However, they have started putting them up on the Georgia Street side - 1 1/2 up so far.

djh · #13 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 6:54 PM**

It was quite a sight when I went past at 9pm on Sunday night. The road on at least wo sides of the building (Seymour's length and Georgia's length) had 1 lane closed off. The lanes was back-to-back cherry-pickers, each lifting workmen with different segments of the banners. Good job!

NetMapel · #14 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 7:20 PM**

I'd like to see that white building beside HBC demolished and replaced with a much taller office building

The banners on HBC building looks nice though !

officedweller · #15 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 9:25 PM**

So the store is the Seymour half of the main floor (which extends north farther than the Granville side)

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnjimbc

They haven't finished all the ones on the Seymour side (a couple are still missing). I suppose that might be by design. The pattern of the current panels on that side is geometrical. . . a pattern of 6 panels, 1 original facade, 1 panel, 1 original facade, then finishing with 6 panels. If I were doing the design like that on purpose, though, I would have put the one panel that just shows the Olympic rings (all the others show athletes in action) in the middle, but it's not. So my guess is they do still have two more panels to complete on that side.

However, they have started putting them up on the Georgia Street side - 1 1/2 up so far.

Thanks for the pics.

I think all of the alcoves will be filled in. Even the vent alcoves on the Georgia side have the support structures added in for the panels.

As of Monday morning, most were filled in on the Seymour side - exception would be the one with the overhead walkway to the parkade, which is partial.

officedweller · #16 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 11:53 PM**

Taken by me today (5:00 pm) - no new panels on Georgia today
- also looks like there'll be some HBC colours added to the mix:

David · #17 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 11:55 PM**

The panels look great!

mr.x · #18 Posted **Sep 28, 2009, 11:59 PM**

Awesome!

I think the city is really going about it wrong by not installing most of the decorations by November. Yea, there's the Christmas season but have they thought about perhaps giving their decorations more of a bang for each buck spent on them? The longer they are up, the more worthwhile the whole venture is.

SpongeG · #19 Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 12:03 AM**

a lot of people still don't know we are hosting the olympics - banners would help inform those visiting now

mr.x · #20 Posted **Sep 29, 2009, 12:11 AM**

^ yea, exactly. It's a terrible decision to have the banners up for only two months (installation in early January).

They're taking the whole "too early, too much" far too seriously....it's the Olympic frickin Games, not some annual run or fair.