Peter Wall is a Ukrainian-born Canadian businessman. He is a property developer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who, in the 1990s and 2000s, played a significant and controversial part in the city's real-estate boom. He has been described as "a leading contributor to Vancouver's 'City of Glass' reputation" during a period in which the city's skyline has been transformed, along with its economic and social profile.[1] Rejecting the label "developer", Wall has stated that he "just make[s] some money investing in business ideas and projects".[2]
Wall emigrated from Eastern Europe to Canada as a child, shortly after the Second World War. During the 1990s, when Vancouver was changing from a provincial port tied to the British Columbian lumber industry to a major multicultural gateway for immigrants from around the Pacific Rim, Wall and his company Wall Financial Corporation helped revitalize the city's downtown area. In the process, Wall benefitted from and propelled a property boom that continues to this day. His career has earned him both criticism and praise.
Wall has been described as the city's "ultimate business maverick" in the press, which depicts him as a colourful, flamboyant character which resounds through his architecture.[2] The controversial award-winning hotel and delicate condominium tower, One Wall Centre, completed in 2001, is regarded as his crowning achievement. At the time of its construction, this skyscraper was the highest and most fragile in Vancouver.[3] By the end of 2008, One Wall Centre was overtaken by the 61-storey tower, Living Shangri-La. Wall is also known for his catty legal scrapes and for his personal and public generosity. He fought a protracted legal battle with the city over the height and cladding of One Wall Centre. He has been a significant donor to the University of British Columbia, making in 1991 what was then the largest private donation in the university's history.
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