Back When.

Victoria’s Chinatown is no tourist trap; on the contrary, it’s one of the country’s oldest Asian neighbourhoods. Spurred on by heady news of the gold rush, Chinese immigrants sailed the long journey to Canada’s then rustic shores. They set to building immediately, first with wood, then with brick. The demand for space in the neighbourhood was so high that buildings were erected mere inches from one another, and featured intricate interior and exterior corridors that only the experienced could navigate.

union is part of the historic Finlayson building, housing Chinese workers since completion in 1881. As the gold rush built up to its ultimate crescendo, businesses opened, then multiplied. The gold eventually ran out, but Chinatown never packed up. It remains today, evolved.

Although the Finlayson now exists as a façade only, the history in its bricks still tells a story, one that continues to be told throughout the neighbourhood. union will add smart floor plans, modern design and intuitive functionality to a historic facade already filled with stories. All you need to do is pen a few of your own. Up for it?