In 2011 I worked on the branding and launch of an innovative condo home development in Vancouver’s Gastown area, on the edge of the Downtown Eastside.
Part of that assignment involved sketching some of the sights and scenes of the neighbourhood, in as genuine a way as possible.
Rediscovering the scans of these images on my hard drive, I spent an enjoyable evening playing around with photo textures and a fascinating Photoshop filter set called Machine Wash.
Gastown is now a rapidly changing area, but still retains a grittiness and authentic sense of history. Let’s hope it can retain that balance.
The 21 Doors development went on to sell readily, and offer a bridge between expensive gentrification and relatively affordable ownership.
Some people didn’t see it that way, as it was home to the Pidgin Restaurant protests that made so many headlines in the summer of 2013. But I think the future of the area lies in mixing the old and new, the richer and poorer.
Enjoy the images.
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