Vancouver Icons: The Drop

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt Monday, September 29th, 2014 — 10:42am PDT

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In Vancouver we’re no strangers to rain drops, whether they are pelting down on our umbrellas or misting sideways through the thick green branches of the nearest Douglas Fir. There is one rain drop that does get more attention than others, however and it’s simply called: The Drop. This giant polyurethane-over-EPS sculpture by inges idee is prominently placed at the very foot of Burrard Street, between the two convention centres at Bon Voyage Plaza. The blue landmark, installed in 2009, is the subject of this week’s Vancouver Icons photo collection:

2014 - Vancouver - Alaska Cruise - Convention Centre

Photo credit: Ted McGrath on Flickr

“Thrust into the waters of Burrard Inlet, The Drop playfully invites the viewer to reflect on our relationship with this precious commodity of water, and by extension, on the history, complexity, and future of our waterfront. The Drop pays homage to the element of water and the un-tameable forces of nature which are omnipresent in Vancouver. The slender, elongated sculpture balances as if a huge raindrop were on the verge of landing on the sea walk. Although the sculpture takes a natural phenomenon as its starting point, it displays a technical perfection, artificially coloured to correspond to the sky and contrasting with the pale yellow mass of the mountain of sulphur visible on the horizon, waiting to be loaded into cargo ships. The sculpture’s angle and orientation create a visual dialogue with the architecture of the Convention Centre West, as well as with the bows of the gigantic cruise ships frequently docked nearby. Like an abstract, radiant-blue ship’s figurehead, it marks the interface between land and water, between nature and technology.” [Source]