The Oppenheimer building was built in 1886 and served as a wholesale grocer before becoming city hall and morgue during the “Great Vancouver Fire” of that same year. In 1902 it was purchased by the Pilkington Brothers, a UK glass manufacturer. It remained their warehouse for many years until being abandoned and falling into disrepair.
In 1989, The Oppenheimer building and neighbouring building, 102 Powell Street, were purchased and the restoration began. 102 was gutted and converted into a private parking lot with green space, all hidden behind a historic street-front facade. 100 Powell was upgraded structurally, restored, and reborn as The Warehouse Studio in 1997.
In 1998, The Warehouse Studio received a City of Vancouver Heritage Award for outstanding restoration of a historic building.
