Looking west down Dunsmuir, there appears to be a little urban forest in three dimensions:
The roof deck of the Four Seasons Hotel, part of the Pacific Centre complex, looks positively Babylonian from the street.
If it was planted at the time of construction in the early 1970s, that would make it one of the oldest green roofs in the city. It certainly suggests a heavily planted urban oasis up there – but it’s largely an illusion.
Most of the space is hardscaped, used for recreation and the occasional wedding. But it’s lovely from the street.
The podium of Vancouver Centre used to have planters with similar hanging ivy plants but they were removed in about the 1990s or early 2000s (together with the rooftop access stair). It was probably part of the reno that removed the open atrium entrance to the underground mall and replaced it with a Starbucks. It may have also been about the time the Vancouver Centre Theatres closed.
It’s completely barren up there now.