25 March 2019 – Beware the low-flying puns.
“Sophia” is a street, and cap-S “Special” is an architectural style — the only house style developed in Greater Vancouver and found nowhere else, says the Vancouver Heritage Foundation.
Behold the Vancouver Special.
It was built by the thousands, 1965-1985, the boxy monster home of its day on narrow city lots, easily duplexed and therefore especially popular with multi-generational, often immigrant, households. Not popular with arbiters of tasteful design, one must add; in fact, widely reviled.
The houses survive singly or in small clusters, some much battered by time and others lovingly renovated. The style itself, if still not much loved, is at least now respected as an urban icon. When I first moved here, it was one of the first city sights my friends taught me to recognize.
So I squeak with delight when, walking south on Sophia for no good reason except I’ve never walked it before, I fall upon this little string of renovated Specials, right here at East 20th.
One has lions rampant at the gates (the VHF article later teaches me this is a common feature) …
another faces the street with no guardian sculptures to protect it …
and another flaunts bold new window treatment on the upper level.
None has been wildly transformed, but all are in good shape, and fit the scale and comfy residential charm of this neighbourhood just off Main Street.
I walk one more block south on Sophia — and wowzers, I’m handed another “something special with Sophia.” Lower-case “s” this time, but equally worthy of the adjective.
Street art, literally on the street. One-two-three sections of mural, that pop their way along East 21st from Sophia to Prince Edward.
The first section leads with white swirls …
throws in a sunburst …
and ends with a shooting star.
The middle section feaures hearts and big “eyes” …
with one “eye” circling a storm sewer grate, and a companion sun throwing out rays from beneath that black Honda.
I look back west from the far end of the third section, admire its bias-cut arches …
and ask some 20-somethings in the adjacent park if they know anything about these murals.
They stop their impromptu kick-ball game long enough to peer at the street, and shake their heads. “It’s so cool,” breathes one of the girls. “Thanks! I never noticed…”
I cut diagonally up through the park, salute the downward-dog flamingo …
take myself out to Main Street, and start back north toward home.
And promptly run into this sidewalk sign.
Heres the thing. This very urbane retail store — which specializes in contemporary furniture, objets d’art and books about design and style — contains not a single reference to the architectural form for which it is named. This has always bothered me, seemed negligent bordering on disrespectful.
Now I’ve decided to think of it as a tribute, as proof that the term has burst its original boundaries and become embedded in the culture.
It’s also a clever pun.
And heaven knows, I do like puns.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
/ 25 March 2019I love the street art. And the renovated Specials look cool too. 🙂
icelandpenny
/ 26 March 2019The Specials were also a very effective way to house a lot of not-wealthy people — and we sure need a similar strategy for the current crisis
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
/ 26 March 2019Yes – very true.
bluebrightly
/ 1 April 2019A delightful walk, Penny…oh, I’d love to park my car on that sunburst, it would bring happiness. The VS homes are interesting, and I don’t particularly like them either, but that third one, with the recessed window – pretty cool. It would be an interesting challenge to try to retain the VS-ness but improve the look, and that person succeeded, to my mind.
icelandpenny
/ 1 April 2019Oh I love that block off Sophia, what fun as you say to park on a sunburst! I’ve become very respectful of the VS — blocky as all-get-out, but infinitely open to adaptation, very accommodating (not to make a pun, oh well, I just did) to use… And you now see many of the survivors cherished (but others collapsing into wrack & ruin)
bluebrightly
/ 1 April 2019🙂