613 Pandora Avenue

Built 1906

Originally built as a retail storefront and warehouse for the Rosebank Lime and Building Materials Company, the two-storey structure at 613 Pandora is considered a typical example of commercial architecture of the period. The design features both form and function as it typifies the objective to cover a large area cheaply and at the same time create an attractive building.

The turn of the twentieth century saw a rejection of excessive ornamentation in favour of structural honesty and 613 Pandora with its pillared façade and graceful windows achieves this goal delightfully.

In 1954 the building was renovated to house the offices of 14 labour unions. From 1969 to 1990 the building was home to the Victoria City Archives.

The building currently serves as headquarters to the Provincial Capital Commission and is on Victoria’s Registry of Historic Buildings.