151 West Hastings Street

The value of 151 West Hastings Street lies in its location near the centre of commerce in the early twentieth century. From about 1907 on, construction of prestige office and bank buildings occurred at an unprecedented pace in Vancouver. The structures which arose during the period - the Dominion Bank Building, the Carter-Cotton Building, the Rogers' Building and others - were of a new scale and design. Despite outward appearances of earlier design, they were among the most advanced buildings of their time. They used steel girders and concrete in their structural systems.

Built in 1900 by architect George W. Grant for R. W. Ormidale, the building housed the offices of several wholesale importers. It was located close to the railway terminals and shipping docks, where goods were unloaded for delivery to waterfront warehouses, then on to retail outlets. By the 1920s, the centre of mercantile commerce had shifted to the west and this building became the home of the Metropolitan Stores, a chain of "five-and-dime" outlets catering to the blue collar trade. In the 1950s, the Bata Shoe Company retailed footwear from this location.

There is heritage value in the architectural style and detailing. Built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, popularized in Chicago by Henry H. Richardson's Field's Department Store, it exhibits several characteristics of the style. Unusual however, is the window treatment, where the small rectangular windows are placed beneath the arch-and-spandrel row. On the right hand side of the building, separated from the main facade by decorative brickwork, is an oval window set in a brick surround on the fourth floor. The name of the original owner - in terra cotta- is located over the oval window.