Parkades are often seen as an ugly necessity of urban life, but at least one Vancouver car park is considered a looker.
The Cordova Parkade in Gastown has once again been called one of the "coolest" in the world. This time it was by website BIG 7 Travel, which covers a variety of travel topics around the world. While not usually a tourist destination, they call the 25 parkades in their list "architectural wonders."
"There are some parking garages around the world breaking this mould and breaking barriers with incredible architecture and features," writes reporter Melanie May in the story.
The Cordova Parkade is described as a homage to the historic neighbourhood it's in.
"Part of the regeneration of downtown Vancouver, the building is constructed from a former department store and incorporates bits of old Vancouver bridges in its design," May writes.
It ranks 14 on the list; it's the only Canadian location on the list, but nearby Seattle took the top spot with the 'Sinking Ship' parkade in its famed Pioneer Square.
It's not just a parkade, either. The renovated department store houses offices and a childcare centre on top. Since then it's made similar lists multiple times, including Popular Mechanic's list of the world's strangest parkades.
