Iconic Vancouver mural removed, but presents blank canvas opportunity

The Goldsmith mural on the Randall Building (Google Maps) and its November 2023 removed condition (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive).

At least a few months ago, sometime in 2023, one of Vancouver’s largest murals was quietly removed from the facade of the Randall Building in downtown Vancouver.

The iconic mural of a medieval goldsmith spanning the east wall of the seven-storey office building at 555 West Georgia Street could be seen from near the intersection of Richards and West Georgia streets. Although the building itself was first built in 1927, the mural was first installed in 1991 by artists Kitty Mykka and Nicola Kozakiewkz.

The building underwent a major renovation in the early 1990s by Toni Cavelti, who operated a jeweller business in the building at the time and owned the property. The mural was commissioned by the business, and its design is based on a centuries-old engraving by German goldsmith Christopher Weigel. Cavelti’s jeweller business was sold to Birks just before the end of the century.

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There has been some social media attention over the mural’s removal this week, which was first triggered by artist and city planner John Steil, who is a member of the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Committee.

For three decades, up until the pandemic, it was a highly prominent landmark in the area for pedestrians and westbound drivers on West Georgia Street.

But by 2021, the mural’s age was starting to really show, with multiple large areas peeling and falling from the building facade. Given its advanced state of deterioration, a decision was apparently made by the building management to remove the mural and paint it over sometime in 2023.

2000s condition:

2000s condition of the Randall Building mural. (John Steil)

May 2021 condition:

December 2020 condition of the Randall Building mural. (Google Maps)

May 2023 condition:

May 2023 condition of the Randall Building mural. (Google Maps)

November 2023 condition:

November 2023 condition of the Randall Building mural, which has now been removed and painted over. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

“It’s a big loss. I mean, that for the longest time was like the largest kind of visible public art piece in Vancouver, it was huge. And very visible on Georgia. So, it was really intriguing. Just the image, and the story behind it, how it was related to Tony, and the jewellery store,” said Steil in an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized.

It is unclear whether there was any attempt to explore a repair of the mural, which is not officially listed in the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Registry. The mural’s last known restoration was performed in 2005. Daily Hive Urbanized was unable to reach building management in time for publication.

Steil says murals are highly vulnerable for multiple reasons, so their lifespan longevity over the long term is uncertain.

“Murals are one of the most vulnerable pieces of public art, often because they’re just paint, which deteriorates at a reasonable rate, and at a certain point it needs rehabilitation. Walls fall apart, and they’re open to the elements,” he continued.

As well, adjacent new building developments are known to have blocked some of Vancouver’s previous notable murals, and over time they can become forgotten, such as the surprising revelation of an obscured mural on an adjacent building during Covenant House’s new building construction several years ago.

Randall Building in downtown Vancouver, November 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

November 2023 condition of the Randall Building mural, which has now been removed and painted over. (Google Maps)

Oh darn. The 1991 mural (by KItty Mykka and Nicole Kozakiewkz) on the Randall Building was lost to wall repairs. Big loss for public art in Vancouver! Before and after. pic.twitter.com/LLHw7xUPoF

— John Steil (@johnsteil) January 22, 2024

But Steil emphasizes there is an upside, with the old making way for the new, potentially.

“You know, supposedly, now that they have rehabilitated the wall, boy, that’s a pretty nice canvas to do something with,” he said emphatically.

Naturally, people have been questioning whether VMF, the non-profit organization behind the Vancouver Mural Fest, has already set its eyes on the blank wall as a near-future mural opportunity.

In a statement to Daily Hive Urbanized, VMF says while it is “sad” to see the mural disappear, it currently has no plans to paint this wall as part of its 2024 summer festival, but it is open to the idea if it can find the funding for it.

“VMF would welcome a conversation with the building owners and other potential funders to place a new mural on this prominent location in downtown, and make this rumour a reality,” reads its statement.

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