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fiend
  
location:
East Van
Gender: Male
axiomaniac
 |  | Opsal Steel
< on 10/12/2010 7:21 PM >
|  | | | Two co-conspirators and I slipped into the Opsal Steel building during a moderate downpour yesterday afternoon. I'd previously scouted the building for access, and on our visit we lucked into an easier route left available by someone before us. The site is obviously well trafficked by graf artists and the odd homeless person, but it's relatively clean and there are still a few very interesting corners and rooms to poke around in.
The Opsal Steel building was completed in 1918 by Dominion Construction and designed by architect T.H. Bamforth. It was originally constructed for the Columbia Block and Tool Company.
It is the largest surviving example of heavy timber frame construction, with a pitched roof and rooftop lantern vents that were typical of early False Creek industrial buildings. |
We spent a few hours taking photos and avoiding the increasingly heavy rainfall outside, and I'm excited to go back to explore a few more photo options. I was impatient and didn't spend enough time with the tripod, instead opting to snap a few remote flash images which I'm reserving for less anonymous use.
Here are a few B roll shots I've uploaded to my anonymous account. Next time I'll snap a few more specifically for UER.
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Zikan
location:
North Shore
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 1 on 10/12/2010 10:18 PM >
| | | | Very nice photographs!
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HagensborgViking
   
location:
Fernwood, Victoria
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 2 on 10/12/2010 10:32 PM >
| | | | Hey what the fuck.
That old girl was set to be restored as a heritage landmark a while ago, why is it still in ruins? Anyone have any exterior shots? I really really hope things are still going ahead as planned...
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fiend
location:
East Van
Gender: Male
axiomaniac
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 3 on 10/12/2010 11:20 PM >
| | | | Zikan, thanks.
Viking, there is a development notice out front, but it was cold and wet and I didn't read what they were proposing. The southern exterior has some scaffolding and netting that has been up for a while, and there's a bunch of scaffolding inside as well.
My guess is that everything was delayed because of olympic stupidity and lack of resources. The only thing different from the google streetview images is the aforementioned scaffolding on 2nd: http://goo.gl/maps/1yPi
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KAPS
location:
Vancouver BC.
Gender: Male
DO WORK!
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 4 on 10/13/2010 5:35 AM >
| | | | love Oplsal on a sunny day.
Any chance the water in the basement will freeze during the winter?
I'd love to check it out but this cat isn't too fond of basement water.
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fiend
location:
East Van
Gender: Male
axiomaniac
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 5 on 10/13/2010 4:32 PM >
| | | | I definitely wasn't prepared for that basement. We only had a small headlight and it wasn't nearly powerful enough to get into the back of the room from where the stairs end. I popped a flash in there and boosted the exposure in post, but this is all I could get:
It's either just that room, or it hangs a left and gets interesting around that corner. I've only lived in BC for about eight years now, so I still haven't managed to buy rubber boots.
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PorkRenegade
 
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 7 on 10/16/2010 2:36 AM >
| | | | Nice one, an old classic, great pics.
god created the au/mc to test the faithful.
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KAPS
location:
Vancouver BC.
Gender: Male
DO WORK!
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 8 on 10/16/2010 2:27 PM >
| | | | wow looks like somebody cleaned up all the mess from the roof caving in.
this pic is from july:
[last edit 10/16/2010 2:28 PM by KAPS - edited 1 times]
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fiend
location:
East Van
Gender: Male
axiomaniac
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 9 on 10/17/2010 6:21 AM >
| | | | I noticed a larger dumpster planted on the west side by the car wash on Wednesday. On Monday it was one of the shallow bins, a couple of days later it seemed to be a higher one with a lot of wood sticking out of the top. I just caught a glimpse from the car though and haven't confirmed. They might actively be doing something to the building.
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Zikan
location:
North Shore
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 10 on 10/17/2010 10:41 PM >
| | | | Does anyone know if the enormous crane in the ceiling remains?
edit: grammar fail
[last edit 10/17/2010 10:42 PM by Zikan - edited 1 times]
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Accidental_Protege
location:
Surrey, BC, Canada
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 11 on 10/18/2010 3:58 PM >
| | | | great pics fiend and KAPS.
i'm definitely going to have to check that place out ASAP.
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fiend
location:
East Van
Gender: Male
axiomaniac
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 12 on 10/18/2010 5:56 PM >
| | | | I got a one-liner email from a friend who was there yesterday. It basically said that they're a lot further on with the dismantle/clean-up and that it soon won't be worth going back.
Might be best to get in while you still can. I'm sure it'll take them a while to get to the back rooms.
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KAPS
location:
Vancouver BC.
Gender: Male
DO WORK!
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 13 on 11/5/2010 2:17 AM >
| | | | looks like its a wrap at this location..........................
3.
1.
2.
4.
[last edit 11/5/2010 2:21 AM by KAPS - edited 1 times]
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nobody
location:
VANCOUVER B.C.
Gender: Male
5:55 is a state of mind
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 14 on 11/6/2010 12:09 AM >
| | | | Killer guys!!! It's been years..
N.
Operating Entirely With Bad Intentions |
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nobody
location:
VANCOUVER B.C.
Gender: Male
5:55 is a state of mind
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 15 on 11/6/2010 12:09 AM >
| | | | Killer guys!!! It's been years..
N.
Operating Entirely With Bad Intentions |
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HagensborgViking
location:
Fernwood, Victoria
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 16 on 11/9/2010 9:33 PM >
| | | | Well huh... There's board and batten under the ole' red clapboard. I never would have guessed that the clapboard siding wasn't the original siding. I will assume then that the restoration will conclude with the board and batten, and that sucks. I say put the clapboard back up over it, it's what people will relate to, and, oh yeah, I fuckin HATE board and batten.
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PorkRenegade
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 17 on 11/29/2010 5:36 PM >
| | | | Pretty much gutted, but was fun, still has a nice musty smell.
god created the au/mc to test the faithful.
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PorkRenegade
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 18 on 12/16/2010 12:55 AM >
| | | | I have drunk and seen the spider. -The Winters Tale
god created the au/mc to test the faithful.
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thegerm
location:
Alberta
Gender: Male
| | Re: Opsal Steel
<Reply # 19 on 12/16/2010 10:23 PM >
| | | |
wow that looks at lot like my incident when the saw blade sheared off and went down my shop.
[last edit 12/16/2010 10:23 PM by thegerm - edited 1 times]
Current addiction: Kijiji
http://www.flickr....otos/thegermphotos
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