Celebrating Vancouver’s skyline with my new Harbour Centre Christmas ornament
If there’s one silhouette that defines Vancouver’s skyline, it’s the Harbour Centre.
Built in 1977, this iconic landmark with its distinctive UFO-like observation deck has been a constant in our city’s landscape, anchoring downtown with its sleek, futuristic style.
Photo credit: Aditya Chinchure
My 2024 ornament design pays homage to this beloved skyscraper. It captures Harbour Centre’s unique features: the towering office building, the unforgettable observation deck with its revolving restaurant, and two exterior glass elevators that let you take in the sights on the way up.
But I wanted to elevate this concrete giant a little, too—adding a touch of glamour with a hand-painted matte gold finish surrounding glossy silver windows. Picture the glow of a sunset reflecting warmly across its façade, turning a cool concrete silhouette into something that feels just right for the holiday season. The red elevators are a nod to their ‘80s colour, plus they echo the Canadian flag waving in the breeze at the top and add a bit of festive cheer.
The top of the ornament is made of resin to capture the fine details of the observation deck. To enable the bottom to be more easily mouth-blown in glass, I simplified the base and had my production partner use CAD technology to create a uniform debossed effect for the windows. The result? The ornament maintains its iconic profile while the windows create a subtle sparkle, reflecting the lights on your Christmas tree beautifully.
A local icon with a story
Beyond its instantly recognizable look, Harbour Centre is full of history and memory-making moments. When it opened as the tallest building in Vancouver, it offered locals and visitors an exciting view of the city—and still does from The Lookout observation deck and the Top of Vancouver restaurant. There’s a futuristic “Jetsons” charm to it, too, which was not lost on the building owners. They invited astronaut Neil Armstrong to officially open the top of the building to visitors, leaving his own “moonwalk” footprints in cement.
Since then, this building has been home to many eras of Vancouver’s history: from its days as the Simpson-Sears department store, to its transformation into SFU’s downtown campus, to the tech startups that have taken up residence over the years. It’s also had its moment in the spotlight, appearing in shows like The X-Files, Arrow and MacGyver.
Harbour Centre in my heart
Beyond history, Harbour Centre holds a special place in my own heart. For my husband’s birthday one year, we celebrated at the revolving restaurant—Top of Vancouver—during the Dine Out Festival. As we soaked in the breathtaking views over a memorable dinner, we reflected on the past year and dreamed up plans for the future—including musing about starting my own ornament business. Little did I know that moment would be my “one small step” in the journey that led me create Vancouver Christmas Ornaments.
I imagine many of you have your own cherished memories tied to this building. Maybe it’s a special celebration, an unforgettable date, or a fresh start as an SFU student. Or perhaps, it’s the way this silhouette signals “home” as it greets you on the skyline.
When you hang the Harbour Centre ornament on your Christmas tree, I hope it reminds you of the special moments you’ve shared with this Vancouver landmark, from special dinners with loved ones to the excitement of looking out over our beautiful city. This ornament is more than just an addition to your holiday decor; it’s a piece of Vancouver history, captured to bring a little sparkle and a lot of heart to your holidays.
Fun Facts About Harbour Centre
In 2019, a local petition called for the restaurant’s rotation to be sped up by 500% to make a full rotation every 12 minutes.
Those scenic exterior elevators whisk visitors from street level to the observation deck in just 40 seconds.
At Christmas, the observation deck is often lit in festive red and green LED lights, but community groups can request special colors for causes and celebrations.
The building’s reported height varies —ranging from 139.6 to 177.1 meters—depending on where you measure from and which part you consider the “top.”
Harbour Centre was designed by the same architecture firm that created Toronto’s CN Tower.
Sear built the tower of Harbour Centre over and around the historic 1928 Spences building, which was home first to Spences Department Store and then to Eatons before it relocated.