The beauty of The Permanent is in the details. The longer you spend inside the space, the more layers of history reveal themselves — quite literally in the case of our micro mosaic tile floor.

When the building was purchased in 2008 with the intention of restoring it, there was no indication that anything so intricate lay beneath. In fact, the mosaic had been buried under 13 layers of flooring, including three thick layers of tar.

It wasn’t until those layers were peeled back that the restoration team uncovered something truly special. We brought in expert tile artisans to carefully restore the floor piece by piece, preserving this work of art for future generations.

The design is more than just beautiful — it tells a story. Look closely, and you’ll see the floor mimics fish swimming, a quiet homage to Vancouver’s past as a turn-of-the-century fishing town. In those days, it was the fishermen who brought prosperity to the banks… and now, they’re woven into the very fabric of our space.

At The Permanent, history isn't just on the walls — it's underfoot.