Facelifts typically don’t restore our former glory, especially after 60 years of hard living, and this is the case for the iconic Dal Grauer Substation. Built in 1953, this little historic gem on Burrard St., between Nelson and Smithe, is still a power horse working to supply the West End and Downtown with Hydro.

Cultural sensitivity, perhaps not always associated with corporate heads, was an attribute of Dal Grauer, head of BC Electric when the substation was built. He was close to the West Coast artistic community and friends with architect Ned Pratt. He commissioned Pratt to design the building in collaboration with local artist B.C. Binning. It was Binning’s idea to have the entire exterior wall facing Burrard Street composed of glass to expose the interior electrical infrastructure for anyone on the street to view. He set off both the interior and exterior architecture of the building by using brilliantly lit colour schemes inside. Soon he would change the colours to greens, blues and greys, reflective of Vancouver’s natural surroundings. The mosaic glass tiles at the base and sides of the building also reflect these colours.

The whole concept was modernistic and also celebratory of the ideal of marrying industry, art and technology for the service and enlightenment of all. It was so successful that it slowed traffic, especially when lit at night and soon became a tourist attraction. It was truly innovative public art.

Unfortunately, due to several explosions in the building, the original glass was replaced in 1977 with a shatterproof Plexiglas material. This quickly deteriorated, becoming semi-opaque and eventually ruined the effect of the original design. The building became somewhat of an eyesore.

After much debate over what should be done, and how much to invest, what you see in this photo is the restoration which happened in spring 2012. The windows were replaced with new colourless Plexiglas and covered with privacy film in front of the electrical equipment. The stairs on both sides were left exposed except for the first 3 windows up from street level which also have privacy film. The building frame and concrete facings were cleaned and restored; mosaic tiles were repaired and replaced. No, it’s not near the original effect, but it’s clean and fresh and fits in with the surrounding buildings. The colours that show are the blues and greens you see and blend with the tiles and those of the connected Scotia Bank and Electra Tower.

Next time you walk by, knowing something of its brilliant past, you might have a little more admiration for this still functioning structure.

Don Richardson