Joe Beaudoin Jr.: Initial creation

2026-05-31T19:50:05Z

Initial creation

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[[File:UnnamedCapricanCities2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Vancouver Public Library's elliptical colonnade, as seen in "[[Bastille Day]]."]]
The '''Vancouver Public Library''' (VPL) Central Branch, located at Library Square, 350 West Georgia Street, [[w:Downtown Vancouver|Downtown Vancouver]], [[w:British Columbia|British Columbia]], Canada, is one of Vancouver's most prominent architectural landmarks and one of the most frequently used exterior filming locations in both ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' and ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]''. The building's distinctive elliptical colonnade, evoking the Roman Colosseum, made it a natural stand-in for the monumental civic architecture of the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol]].

== Architecture ==

In November 1990, a referendum put to Vancouver residents asked whether the city needed a new central library; 69 percent of voters supported the building program. The City then held a two-stage open competition, shortlisting three architectural teams. On August 14, 1992, Vancouver City Council announced the winning submission: Moshe Safdie & Associates with local partners Downs/Archambault and Partners. The design was described as the most unconventional of the three finalists — and the public's clear favorite.<ref group="production" name="vpl_central_faq_competition_safdie_1992">{{cite web|url=https://www.vpl.ca/guide/vancouver-library-square-architectural-guide/central-library-faq#:~:text=On%20August%2014th%2C%201992%20the%20winning%20submission|title=Central Library FAQ|publisher=Vancouver Public Library|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

Groundbreaking took place on February 1, 1993. The project — the largest capital project ever undertaken by the City of Vancouver at the time — cost $106.8 million for the library, retail, daycare and parkade component, with the adjacent 21-storey Federal Office Tower costing a further $50 million. Construction was completed in 26 months; the Central Library opened officially on May 26, 1995.<ref group="production" name="vpl_central_faq_cost_opening_1995">{{cite web|url=https://www.vpl.ca/guide/vancouver-library-square-architectural-guide/central-library-faq#:~:text=The%20cost%20of%20the%20library%2C%20retail%2C%20daycare%2C%20and%20parkade%3A%20%24106.8%20million|title=Central Library FAQ|publisher=Vancouver Public Library|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

The building is a rectangle within an ellipse: a nine-floor rectilinear central volume housing book stacks and services, encircled by a free-standing elliptical colonnade containing reading areas, retail, and community spaces. The exterior cladding is granite quarried from [[w:Horsefly, British Columbia|Horsefly, BC]]. The rooftop garden on level nine — designed in 1995 by landscape architect [[w:Cornelia Hahn Oberlander|Cornelia Hahn Oberlander]] — is planted in a pattern replicating the flow of the [[w:Fraser River|Fraser River]].<ref group="production" name="vpl_central_faq_rooftop_oberlander">{{cite web|url=https://www.vpl.ca/guide/vancouver-library-square-architectural-guide/central-library-faq#:~:text=Our%20green%20roof%20was%20designed%20in%201995%20by%20Cornelia%20Oberlander|title=Central Library FAQ|publisher=Vancouver Public Library|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref> The library occupies 32,500 square meters (349,100 square feet) across its floors, with seating capacity for 1,200. Library Square occupies the full city block bounded by West Georgia, Homer, Robson, and Hamilton Streets.

The VPL openly welcomes television and film production at the Central Branch, which it describes as "one of Vancouver's most recognizable architectural landmarks."<ref group="production" name="vpl_filming_at_library_landmark">{{cite web|url=https://www.vpl.ca/rentals/filming-at-the-library#:~:text=One%20of%20Vancouver%27s%20most%20recognizable%20architectural%20landmarks|title=Filming at the Library|publisher=Vancouver Public Library|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

== Appearances in ''Battlestar Galactica'' ==

=== "[[Bastille Day]]" ===

The exterior of the library's elliptical colonnade is briefly visible as [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon Valerii]] run through the streets of a Cylon-occupied [[Unnamed cities of Caprica|unnamed city]] on [[Caprica]]. The building's curved glass and stone facade stands in without dressing, appearing as a civilian public structure in what the script treats as a relatively modern Caprican city separate from [[Caprica City]].<ref group="production" name="suwalski_bsg_vpl_bastille_day_visible">{{cite web|url=http://pat.suwalski.net/film/bsg-locations/#:~:text=Vancouver%20Public%20Library|title=BSG – Season 1 Locations|author=Pat Suwalski|date=2005|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref><ref group="production" name="battlestarlocations_pdf_vpl_bastille_day">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlestarlocations.com/uploads/8/1/0/8/8108293/battlestar_galactica_locations_guide.pdf#:~:text=Entering%20Caprica%20(Bastille%20Day)%2C%20Flight%20Centre%20Library%20Square|title=Battlestar Galactica Locations Guide|publisher=battlestarlocations.com|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

== Appearances in ''Caprica'' ==

The library is used more extensively in ''Caprica'' than in ''Battlestar Galactica'', appearing across multiple episodes as a general Caprica City exterior and as the exterior of specific civic buildings.

=== Pilot ===

In the unaired DVD version of the ''Caprica'' pilot, the VPL exterior stood in for the exterior of [[Caprica City Hall]]. This use was retconned for the broadcast version of the episode, which replaced the library facade with a computer-generated vista. In both versions, the plaza outside the building is where [[Joseph Adama]] and [[Daniel Graystone]] meet for the first time following a court appearance, and where they agree to go for coffee.<ref group="production" name="moviemaps_caprica_vpl_joseph_daniel_pilot">{{cite web|url=https://moviemaps.org/locations/4h#:~:text=Joseph%20and%20Daniel%20meet%20outside%20this%20building%20and%20decide%20to%20get%20coffee%20in%20pilot%20episode|title=Movies Filmed at Vancouver Central Library|publisher=MovieMaps|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref><ref group="production" name="visitcaprica_pilot_vpl_cityhall_exterior">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitcaprica.com/2011/01/episode-1-pilot.html#:~:text=Vancouver%20Public%20Library%20stood%20in%20for%20the%20Caprica%20City%20Hall%20exterior|title=Episode 1: Pilot|publisher=Visit Caprica|date=2011|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

=== "[[Gravedancing]]" ===

[[Clarice Willow]] is seen stealing an e-sheet outside the library building in a brief exterior scene.<ref group="production" name="moviemaps_caprica_vpl_gravedancing_clarice">{{cite web|url=https://moviemaps.org/locations/4h#:~:text=Clarice%20steals%20an%20e-sheet%20outside%20the%20Vancouver%20library%20in%20episode%201x04|title=Movies Filmed at Vancouver Central Library|publisher=MovieMaps|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

=== "[[Blowback]]" ===

Two separate scenes in this episode use the library exterior. [[Joseph Adama]]'s conversation with the [[Guatrau]] and [[Jordan Duram|Agent Duram]]'s conversation with GDD Director Singh are both filmed outside the building in the same episode.<ref group="production" name="moviemaps_caprica_vpl_blowback_joseph_duram">{{cite web|url=https://moviemaps.org/locations/4h#:~:text=Joseph%27s%20conversation%20with%20the%20Guatrau%20and%20Agent%20Duram%27s%20conversation%20with%20GDD%20Director%20Singh%20occur%20in%20episode%201x14|title=Movies Filmed at Vancouver Central Library|publisher=MovieMaps|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

== Notes ==

* The VPL is one of several [[w:Vancouver|Vancouver]] landmarks designed by internationally recognized architects that appear in BSG and ''Caprica''. [[w:Moshe Safdie|Moshe Safdie]] also designed the complementary [[w:Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts|Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts]] directly across Homer Street from Library Square; [[w:Arthur Erickson|Arthur Erickson]], whose [[Waterfall Building]] is the most-used interior BSG location, also designed the [[w:Vancouver Art Gallery|Vancouver Art Gallery]] (used for ''Caprica'' courthouse scenes) and [[w:Simon Fraser University|Simon Fraser University]] (used extensively across both productions).
* Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, who designed the VPL's rooftop garden, also designed the landscape for the [[Waterfall Building]] and for [[w:Robson Square|Robson Square]] (which includes the Arthur Erickson-renovated Vancouver Art Gallery).
* The IMDb filming locations page for ''Battlestar Galactica'' (2004) lists the VPL address as "360 West Georgia Street." The correct address, as confirmed by the library's own publications, is 350 West Georgia Street.

== References ==

=== Production ===
{{reflist|group=production}}

== External Links ==

* [https://www.vpl.ca/guide/vancouver-library-square-architectural-guide/central-library-faq Central Library FAQ] at vpl.ca
* [https://www.vpl.ca/rentals/filming-at-the-library Filming at the Library] at vpl.ca
* [https://moviemaps.org/locations/4h Vancouver Central Library filming locations] at MovieMaps

== See also ==

* [[Filming locations (RDM)]]
* [[Waterfall Building]]
* [[Vancouver Film Studios]]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Places]]
[[Category:Places (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Caprica]]

Vancouver Public Library - Revision history

Joe Beaudoin Jr.: Initial creation