Description of Historic Place

The York Residence is a two-storey Streamline Moderne-style building located in historic Chinatown, adjacent to one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods. The historic place is confined to the building footprint.

Heritage Value

Built in 1948, the York Residence is a very good example of a vernacular Streamline Moderne-style building. The York Residence's sleek, streamlined appearance, its horizontal orientation, smooth surfaces, curved corners and balcony are hallmarks of this modernistic style.

The York Residence is a rare remaining building located on the site of Nanaimo’s historic Chinatown. Other remaining buildings are from a much earlier era. The York Residence, with its modern styling and landscaped yard, provides evidence that Nanaimo's Chinatown was more than the collection of haphazardly-arranged, boomtown-style buildings that popular local histories often suggest.

Source: City of Nanaimo Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the York Residence include:

-all of the elements of the Streamline Moderne-style building, as expressed in the asymmetrical form, horizontal orientation, minimal ornamentation, flat roof, rounded corners and second-floor balcony, smooth stucco walls, metal balcony railings, corner windows, simple door and window trim, and entry door sidelights with reeded glass
- the building's location in historic Chinatown