As my homage to the closing of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, this week’s post is the Vancouver Public Library. This gorgeous building is evocative of the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome (popularly known as the Colosseum). Built between 1992-1995 the library complex includes the circular public space and a high-rise commercial space. The outdoors have been brought indoors thanks to covered walkways with cafes and shops. The building has a rooftop garden, although this is apparently closed to the public.
Photos of Vancouver Public Library courtesy of A. Grudzinskas
Alison Innes 
I had forgotten about the VPL. You are right, it’s a great building . . . but I recall it being somewhat overshadowed by the highrises nearby. I think they take away from its visual impact. The colosseum, on the other hand, has a bit of a field around it and the nearby buildings don’t overshadow it. I remember seeing it for the first time – I wan’t looking for it; I just stumbled across it. Turned the corner, and there it was. It made a huge visual impact.
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