2 Best Sights in Vancouver, British Columbia

The spiraling library building, open plazas, and lofty atrium of Library Square, completed in the mid-1990s, were built to evoke images of the Colosseum in Rome. A high-tech public library is the core of the structure; the outer edge of the spiral houses cafés and fast-food outlets.

Architect Arthur Erickson designed this plaza to be the gathering place for Downtown Vancouver, although it's not accessible at street level, which makes it a bit of a secret. Landscaped walkways connect the Vancouver Art Gallery, government offices, and law courts at street level, while the lower level houses a University of British Columbia satellite campus and bookstore. In winter, there's also a covered, outdoor, public ice skating rink. In summer, the rink becomes a dance floor for weekly (free) salsa sessions, usually on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Political protests and impromptu demonstrations take place on the grandiose gallery plaza facing Georgia Street, a tradition that dates from the days when the building was a courthouse.