The Pendulum Gallery

Giant Pendulum to the attack!
Actually, it’s a bank lobby and the coolest engineering/​architectural design a bank could commission in Vancouver. Out with the drabby line-​ups and boring elevator music, this swinging lobby has a beautiful café and a two-​level lobby that is perfect to set-​up a meeting in or to wait for someone and duck out of the rain. Often times, there will be after-​hours events, exhibits and other functions not related to the bank.

This has got to be one of the nicest bank lobbies in Vancouver. The Pendulum Gallery is in the lobby of the HSBC Building, and serves to distract banking customers on their way to the tellers. They regularly rotate the exhibits, and artists frequently have to reserve a year in advance. Sometimes the exhibits are really interesting, and other times they are «meh.» But I give it 5 stars for putting art in front of people on a regular basis, and for it being free to the public.
The setting itself, a 7 story atrium with a very large swinging pendulum, is unique. There is a small café in the lobby there as well, that once a week has a live piano player. So enjoy an exhibit while listening to live classical music and going to the ABM all in one spot.
Little secret: If you bank there you can go to the little counter to the left of the tellers and get a 1 hour of free parking right in the downtown core. They validate for customers!