Joe Beaudoin Jr.: initial creation

2026-05-31T06:13:30Z

initial creation

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[[File:The Waterfall Building - panoramio.jpg|thumb|250x250px|The Waterfall Building's signature water-screen courtyard, 1540 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver.]]
The '''Waterfall Building''' is a mixed-use live/work development at 1540 West 2nd Avenue in the [[w:False Creek|False Creek]] neighborhood of [[w:Vancouver, British Columbia|Vancouver]], [[w:British Columbia|British Columbia]], Canada, near the entrance to [[w:Granville Island|Granville Island]]. Designed by [[w:Arthur Erickson|Arthur Erickson]] with Nick Milkovich Architects, it is one of the most heavily used real-world filming locations in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', appearing across nine seasons and five production years in roles ranging from [[Laura Roslin]]'s doctor's office to [[Kara Thrace]]'s Delphi apartment to her detention cell on [[New Caprica]].

== Architecture ==

The building was designed in 1996 by Arthur Erickson with Nick Milkovich Architects (Nick Milkovich and Wyn Bielaska) and completed in 2001 by developer Hillside Developments.<ref group="production" name="arthurerickson_waterfall_building_designed_1996">{{cite web|url=https://www.arthurerickson.com/mixed-use-projects/waterfall-building/1#:~:text=Designed%201996%20with%20Nick%20Milkovich%20Architects|title=Waterfall Building|publisher=Arthur Erickson Official Website|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref><ref group="production" name="scoutmagazine_waterfall_building_erickson_1996_2001">{{cite web|url=https://scoutmagazine.ca/1000-cool-things-about-vancouver-arthur-ericksons-soothing-waterfall-building/#:~:text=designed%20by%20Arthur%20Erickson%20in%201996%20with%20Nick%20Milkovitch%20Architects%20and%20built%20in%202001|title=Arthur Erickson's Soothing Waterfall Building|publisher=Scout Magazine|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref> The landscape design was executed by [[w:Cornelia Hahn Oberlander|Cornelia Hahn Oberlander]] between 1998 and 2001, who designed the courtyard planting scheme, a reflecting basin, and roof gardens on all five building structures.<ref group="production" name="cca_oberlander_fonds_waterfall_building_1997">{{cite web|url=https://www.cca.qc.ca/en/archives/218037/cornelia-hahn-oberlander-fonds/366409/landscape-architecture-projects/368807/the-waterfall-building-vancouver-british-columbia-1997#:~:text=Oberlander%20worked%20on%20this%20project%20in%201998-2001|title=The Waterfall Building, Vancouver, British Columbia (1997) – Cornelia Hahn Oberlander fonds|publisher=Canadian Centre for Architecture|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

The development consists of five building blocks in concrete, steel and glass organized around a central courtyard. As described by Nick Milkovich Architects: "The courtyard spills into the fronting pedestrian street through an opening bridged by the building. From the curved bridge soffit a curtain of water descends into a reflecting pool animating the opening with reflected light, while the sound offers an acoustic buffer to the courtyard." The units above comprise work/live studios with commercial spaces at ground level; each unit has a double-height space with through ventilation and natural daylight, looking both into the courtyard and out to the surrounding neighborhood.<ref group="production" name="scoutmagazine_waterfall_nma_courtyard_description">{{cite web|url=https://scoutmagazine.ca/1000-cool-things-about-vancouver-arthur-ericksons-soothing-waterfall-building/#:~:text=The%20Waterfall%20Building%20consists%20of%20five%20building%20blocks|title=Arthur Erickson's Soothing Waterfall Building|publisher=Scout Magazine|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

The building is catalogued by the West Coast Modern League as an Erickson work of 2001.<ref group="production" name="westcoastmodern_waterfall_building_2001">{{cite web|url=https://westcoastmodern.org/places/waterfall-building-2001/#:~:text=Designed%20by%20Arthur%20Erickson%20with%20Nick%20Milkovich%20and%20Wyn%20Bielaska|title=Waterfall Building (2001)|publisher=West Coast Modern League|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref> The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation published a green roof case study on the building in 2001, documenting Oberlander's rooftop planting work.

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

The Waterfall Building appears in ''Battlestar Galactica'' across the [[Miniseries]], Seasons 2, 3, and 4.<ref group="production" name="battlestarlocations_pdf_waterfall_all_uses">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlestarlocations.com/uploads/8/1/0/8/8108293/battlestar_galactica_locations_guide.pdf#:~:text=Roslin%27s%20doctor%27s%20office%2C%20Waterfall%20Building%2C%201540%20West%202nd%20Avenue|title=Battlestar Galactica Locations Guide|publisher=battlestarlocations.com|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref><ref group="production" name="imdb_bsg_waterfall_building_filming">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407362/locations/#:~:text=The%20Waterfall%20Building|title=Battlestar Galactica (2004) – Filming Locations|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref> In almost every case, the same physical spaces — the sloped glass atrium on the ground floor and the loft staircases above — are redressed to serve as different in-universe locations.

=== [[Miniseries]] ===

The building's sloped glass atrium serves as [[Laura Roslin]]'s doctor's office, where she receives her cancer diagnosis from her physician. Roslin is seated on a bench in the atrium in the scene. The same space reappears in "[[Epiphanies]]" during flashbacks to the same appointment.<ref group="production" name="moviemaps_waterfall_roslin_doctor_miniseries">{{cite web|url=https://moviemaps.org/movies/18#:~:text=In%20the%20miniseries%2C%20this%20is%20where%20Laura%20gets%20the%20bad%20news%20about%20her%20cancer|title=Battlestar Galactica filming locations|publisher=MovieMaps|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

=== Season 2 ===

* '''"[[Valley of Darkness]]"''' — [[Kara Thrace]]'s Delphi apartment and the adjacent car garage are filmed here. This is the building's first appearance as a residential location.

* '''"[[Black Market]]"''' — The building serves as the setting for [[Lee Adama]]'s flashbacks with his girlfriend, with the staircase areas used prominently.<ref group="production" name="moviemaps_waterfall_lee_black_market">{{cite web|url=https://moviemaps.org/movies/18#:~:text=Building%20where%20Lee%20has%20flashbacks%20with%20his%20fianc%C3%A9e%20in%20episode%202x14|title=Battlestar Galactica filming locations|publisher=MovieMaps|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

* '''"[[Downloaded]]"''' — The outdoor courtyard and one of the loft interiors serve as a Cylon-occupied area on [[Caprica]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon]]'s Caprica apartment.<ref group="production" name="battlestarlocations_downloaded_waterfall_cylon_caprica">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlestarlocations.com/locations-guide/downloaded#:~:text=The%20Waterfall%20Building%2C%201540%20West%202nd%20Avenue%2C%20Vancouver|title=Downloaded – Locations Guide|publisher=battlestarlocations.com|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

=== Season 3 ===

* '''"[[Occupation]]," "[[Precipice]]," "[[Exodus, Part I]]," "[[Exodus, Part II]]"''' — The same loft room used as Kara's Delphi apartment in "Valley of Darkness" is redressed as her detention cell in the [[New Caprica Detention Center]], where she is held captive by [[Leoben Conoy]] throughout the [[Cylon Occupation Authority|Cylon occupation]]. This is why the cell bears a resemblance to her Delphi apartment — it is the same room.<ref group="production" name="battlestarlocations_pdf_waterfall_kara_cell_occupation_s3">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlestarlocations.com/uploads/8/1/0/8/8108293/battlestar_galactica_locations_guide.pdf#:~:text=Kara%27s%20cell%20(Occupation%2C%20Precipice%2C%20Exodus%20I%20%26%20II)%2C%20Waterfall%20building|title=Battlestar Galactica Locations Guide|publisher=battlestarlocations.com|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

=== Season 4 ===

* '''"[[Daybreak, Part I]]"''' and '''"[[Daybreak, Part II]]"''' — The building appears in two separate roles during the Caprica flashback sequences: Kara Thrace's apartment and [[Laura Roslin]]'s Caprica apartment (specifically the east-side penthouse).<ref group="production" name="battlestarlocations_pdf_daybreak_waterfall_kara_roslin">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlestarlocations.com/uploads/8/1/0/8/8108293/battlestar_galactica_locations_guide.pdf#:~:text=Kara%27s%20apartment%20(Daybreak)%2C%20Waterfall%20building|title=Battlestar Galactica Locations Guide|publisher=battlestarlocations.com|accessdate=30 May 2026}}</ref>

== Notes ==

* The building is located in the False Creek neighbourhood, a short walk from [[w:Granville Island|Granville Island]] in Vancouver.
* [[w:Arthur Erickson|Arthur Erickson]] (1924–2009) also designed [[w:Simon Fraser University|Simon Fraser University]] in Burnaby — the other most-used recurring BSG filming location in the Vancouver area — and the [[w:Vancouver Art Gallery|Vancouver Art Gallery]] building (the former Vancouver Law Courts), used for ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'' courthouse scenes.
* [[w:Cornelia Hahn Oberlander|Cornelia Hahn Oberlander]] (1921–2021), who designed the building's landscape and roof gardens, also designed the rooftop garden of the [[w:Vancouver Public Library|Vancouver Public Library]] (seen briefly in "[[Bastille Day]]") and the landscape for [[w:Robson Square|Robson Square]], which includes the Arthur Erickson-renovated Vancouver Art Gallery.

== References ==

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

== External Links ==

* [https://www.arthurerickson.com/mixed-use-projects/waterfall-building/1 Waterfall Building] at arthurerickson.com
* [https://westcoastmodern.org/places/waterfall-building-2001/ Waterfall Building (2001)] at West Coast Modern League
* [https://moviemaps.org/movies/18 Battlestar Galactica Filming Locations] at MovieMaps

== See also ==

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

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[[Category:Places (RDM)]]
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Waterfall Building - Revision history

Joe Beaudoin Jr.: initial creation