A Chinatown icon since 1962. You can still see our historic Jack Chow Insurance fluorescent black & white sign from the 1960’s stretching out at our 1 E. Pender St location, but these days our famous twinkling neon sign shines as a landmark beacon at the entrance to Chinatown at our 8 W. Pender St. location, the Skinniest Building in the World.
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A symbol of ingenuity and resilience, the Sam Kee Building is an architectural oddity with a fascinating history. Built in 1913 by businessman Chang Toy—also known as Sam Kee—it stands on a narrow strip of land in Vancouver's Chinatown. The city had expropriated most of Toy's property for a street-widening project, leaving him with a six-foot lot. Legend has it that a business associate bet him $10,000 that he couldn't build a functional structure on the remaining land. He won.
Defying conventional architecture, the two-story steel-framed structure's ground floor measures just 4 feet 11 inches in depth. Its upper floor extends to 6 feet due to overhanging bay windows. A basement, which originally housed public baths, extends beneath the sidewalk, illuminated by thick glass blocks in the pavement.
Recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's narrowest commercial building and by Ripley's Believe it or Not! as the world's thinnest, the Sam Kee Building once housed 13 businesses. In 1985, local entrepreneur Jack Chow purchased the historic landmark, ensuring its legacy and continuing its tradition as a testament to defiance and success in the face of adversity.
The Jack Chow Building is a cultural landmark in Vancouver's Chinatown with a rich history of restoration. In 1986, owner Jack Chow, a successful realtor and insurance broker, undertook a significant renovation, which included adding reinforced glass blocks to the sidewalk to illuminate the basement. This work earned the building a Guinness World Record in 1987 for the "Shallowest Commercial Building in the World." The building, known locally as "Slender on Pender," is celebrated for its distinctive architecture and historical significance.
In 2013, to mark the building's 100th anniversary, the Chow family commenced another full restoration. This project introduced advanced technological features, such as an illuminated All Glass Stairway and a synchronized light show system. Additionally, a new glass service window was installed to improve customer interaction. These enhancements transformed the building into what was called the "most efficient ultra spectacular building in the world" in 2015.
Complimentary parking for all customers!
