Vancouver condo buildings · Updated September 13, 2026
The Butterfly
1033 Nelson St, Vancouver · Also known as Butterfly tower, 1033 Nelson Street
Touring this building? Matching is free.
The Butterfly is Westbank's 57-storey tower at Burrard and Nelson, built around the restored 1911 First Baptist Church and designed by Revery Architecture. Its curved, cloud-like balconies made it an instant landmark when it completed in 2024. Residents rate it 4.0 out of 5 on Google from 75 reviews, and Reddit talk centres on design, prices and buyers selling at a loss.
- Address
- 1033 Nelson St, Vancouver
- Neighbourhood
- West End
- Completed
- 2024
- Storeys
- 57
- Height
- 179 m
- Suites
- 294
- Towers
- 1, integrated with the restored First Baptist Church
- Developer
- Westbank, with First Baptist Church
- Architect
- Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom Architects)
- Transit
- About 650 m from Vancouver City Centre station on the Canada Line
About The Butterfly
The tower and the church restoration were built together: the lower podium levels connect to the heritage church, which gained new facilities as part of the deal. Revery Architecture, the firm formerly known as Bing Thom Architects, describes the tower as 556 feet and 57 storeys.
Amenities include a 50-metre lap pool, hot tub, sauna, fitness studio, yoga room and lounges, plus 24-hour concierge. The finished suites drew mixed reactions when interior photos circulated in late 2024.
Suite counts differ: Vancouver New Condos lists 294 residences and BC Condos and Homes lists 331. Completion is given as 2024 by BKL Consultants and Google, while some listings say December 2025.
Where The Butterfly is
The Butterfly is at 1033 Nelson St in West End. About 650 m from Vancouver City Centre station on the Canada Line.
The labelled marker is this building; the dots are other buildings covered in this guide. Select a marker to open its card.
Looking at other options in the area? See real estate agents serving Downtown Vancouver or the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
The Butterfly building amenities
- 50-metre lap pool
- Hot tub and sauna
- Fitness studio
- Yoga room
- Lounge
- 24-hour concierge
Vancouver Condo Network, Jason Hutchison building profile and Vancouver New Condos.
The Butterfly reviews: the Google rating
Google reviews are the largest public sample of resident opinion for most condo buildings. The breakdown matters more than the average: a building with as many one-star as five-star reviews is a very different place from one with a steady spread of fours.
4.0
★★★★★75 Google reviews
- 5 star51
- 4 star5
- 3 star1
- 2 star4
- 1 star14
What reviews mention most
- Design · 14
- Architecture · 10
- Iconic building · 2
- Stunning views · 2
- Modern design · 2
- Luxury living · 2
- Baptist church · 2
Google Maps listing, as of September 13, 2026. Topics are the themes Google identifies in reviews, with the number of reviews mentioning each. Read the reviews on Google Maps
What residents praise
- Architecture and design
- Amenities, especially the pool
- Views
What residents complain about
- Resale prices below what presale buyers paid
- Suite layouts and finishes some commenters dislike
- High rents for the unit sizes
What people say about The Butterfly on Reddit and forums
A summary of the threads that come up when people search for this building. Reddit skews toward people with a problem or a question, so weigh it alongside the Google breakdown above.
The overall picture
The Butterfly is one of the most discussed buildings on Vancouver Reddit. People are impressed by the architecture and pool, but the conversation has turned to price: who can afford the rents, how the suites were finished and presale buyers selling at a loss.
Resale losses
NegativeA 2026 r/VancouverLandlords thread covers buyers losing money on resales and argues the suites suit short-term rentals, which are no longer allowed.
Rent and who lives there
MixedA 2025 askvan thread with 150+ comments asks who pays $4,000 to $7,000 a month for a one-bedroom, and another discusses a $5,100 listing.
Architecture and amenities
PositiveCommenters call the amenities gorgeous and the indoor pool amazing, and the 2024 "stack of pancakes" thread is mostly about the striking design.
Suite interiors
MixedInterior photos in 2024 drew 690+ comments, and a 2026 photo thread includes jokes about an underwater condo, showing a split view of the finishes.
The threads behind this summary
- Vancouver buyers are losing millions at the Butterfly tower
r/VancouverLandlords · 2026 · 40+ comments
Negative“The units aren't at all what an owner wants to live in. They are suitable for a short term rental, which is no longer legal in a marketable/ ...”
- Who actually lives in the butterfly building?
r/askvan · 2025 · 150+ comments
Question“Curious about it cause someone said it's around $4k to 7k for one bedroom? What job do you have? And also do you like the apartments?”
- One-bedroom Vancouver condo listed for $5100/month
r/vancouver · 2025 · 90+ comments
Mixed“the amenities are gorgeous, and architecture is quite something. the units themselves the finishings are high end (although not sure about the ...”
- Photos of inside a unit in the new Butterfly building on Nelson
r/vancouver · 2024 · 690+ comments
Discussion - Here's what it looks like inside Vancouver's Butterfly building
r/vancouver · 2026 · 80+ comments
Negative“A Cybertruck and a heavily underwater condo at The Butterfly screams ...”
- The Butterfly building: a stack of pancakes?
r/vancouver · 2024 · 150+ comments
Mixed“The building looks pretty amazing, especially that indoor pool.”
Summaries are our reading of the linked threads and review pages. Excerpts are quoted verbatim from each thread’s public snippet, including spelling; open the thread for full context. Dates are approximate.
What's near The Butterfly: transit, restaurants and parks
SkyTrain stations, bus stops, and the most-reviewed places within about a kilometre of 1033 Nelson St. Use the filters to show only what you care about, and select a marker for photos, details and walking directions.
Transit stop locations are from TransLink schedule data. Place locations come from Google Maps listings and are rounded to about 100 m, so a marker can sit a little off the actual entrance.
Transit near The Butterfly
The closest SkyTrain station to The Butterfly is Vancouver City Centre Station on Canada Line, about a 10-minute walk (650 m). Bus routes 44, 2, 14, 16, 4, 10, 7, 50, 6 and 5 stop within 500 m.
SkyTrain stations
- C
Vancouver City Centre Station
Canada Line
10 min · 650 m - E
Burrard Station
Expo Line
11 min · 690 m - E
Granville Station
Expo Line
13 min · 840 m
Bus routes within 500 m
- 44UBC Exchange/Downtown ExpressNearest stop: Southbound Burrard St @ Nelson St2 min · 100 m
- 2MacdonaldNearest stop: Southbound Burrard St @ Nelson St2 min · 100 m
- 14Hastings/UBC ExchangeNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 1629th Avenue Station/ArbutusNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 4Powell/UBC ExchangeNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 10GranvilleNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 7Nanaimo Station/DunbarNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 50Waterfront Station/False Creek SouthNearest stop: Southbound Howe St @ Nelson St5 min · 310 m
- 6DavieNearest stop: Westbound Davie St @ Burrard St5 min · 310 m
- 5RobsonNearest stop: Westbound Robson St @ Burrard St6 min · 360 m
Stations and routes from TransLink’s official schedule data (TransLink GTFS static schedule data, published September 11, 2026). Overnight routes are not shown. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. View the dataset
Restaurants, parks and things to do near The Butterfly
Restaurants near The Butterfly
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
Denny's Restaurant Vancouver, Davie
Restaurant
★★★★★4.5 (9,043)
1098 Davie St · 340 m
- No free photo available7 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
Cafés and bakeries near The Butterfly
- No free photo available4 min walk
- No free photo available5 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
Blenz Coffee
Coffee shop
★★★★★4.3 (239)
Blenz on Davie & Bute St, 1203 Davie St · 420 m
- No free photo available7 min walk
- No free photo available7 min walk
Brunch Vancouver | Breakfast & Brunch Restaurant
Brunch restaurant
★★★★★4.7 (2,358)
1147 Granville St · 430 m
- No free photo available7 min walk
Grocery stores near The Butterfly
- No free photo available3 min walk
- No free photo available6 min walk
Mi Tierra Latina Store - Davie
Mexican grocery store
★★★★★4.6 (149)
1104 Davie St · 400 m
- No free photo available8 min walk
Davie Street Your Independent Grocer Vancouver
Grocery store
★★★★★3.9 (2,793)
1255 Davie St · 490 m
- No free photo available8 min walk
- No free photo available8 min walk
- No free photo available9 min walk
Hannam Supermarket
Korean grocery store
★★★★★4.3 (688)
1323 Robson St #202 · 590 m
Parks and green space near The Butterfly
- No free photo available3 min walk
- No free photo available6 min walk
6 min walkPhoto: UBCRobs, CC BY-SA 4.0
9 min walk- No free photo available10 min walk
- No free photo available10 min walk
Things to do near The Butterfly
8 min walk
9 min walkPhoto: MichaelThoeny, CC BY-SA 3.0
9 min walkPhoto: Misterpartel, CC0
- No free photo available10 min walk
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Art gallery
★★★★★4.7 (723)
639 Hornby St · 640 m
- No free photo available13 min walk
14 min walkPhoto: Jay Toor jay_toor, CC0
Places and ratings from Google Maps listings, retrieved September 13, 2026. Restaurants and cafés are limited to places rated 4.3 or higher, and every category is filtered to listings with enough reviews to be meaningful. Walking times are estimates based on straight-line distance. Businesses open, close and move, so check before you go.
Who The Butterfly suits, and who should look elsewhere
A good fit for
People who want a new, architecturally distinctive building in the West End with a serious pool and concierge, close to Robson, Davie and the downtown core.
Look elsewhere if you are
You are buying mainly as an investment. Commenters and news coverage describe resales below presale prices, and short-term rentals are not an option under current rules.
Before you buy in any strata building, ask for the Form B information certificate, two years of strata council minutes and the depreciation report; together they show the strata’s finances, special levies and upcoming repairs. Use the condo fee calculator to check monthly costs and the property transfer tax calculator for closing.
The Butterfly FAQ
How many storeys is The Butterfly in Vancouver?
The Butterfly has 57 storeys. Revery Architecture gives its height as 556 feet, and Google's CTBUH data lists 179 metres to the top.
Who built The Butterfly?
Westbank developed The Butterfly together with First Baptist Church, whose 1911 church was restored as part of the project. Revery Architecture (formerly Bing Thom Architects) designed it, and it completed in 2024.
How much does it cost to live in The Butterfly?
Prices change constantly, so check current listings. Reddit threads from 2025 cite one-bedroom rents of around $4,000 to $7,000 a month and a one-bedroom listed at $5,100, and a December 2024 Daily Hive report cites a 660 sq ft one-bedroom asking $999,999.
What SkyTrain station is closest to The Butterfly?
The closest SkyTrain station to The Butterfly is Vancouver City Centre Station on Canada Line, about a 10-minute walk (650 m). Bus routes 44, 2, 14, 16, 4, 10, 7, 50, 6 and 5 stop within 500 m.
What grocery stores are near The Butterfly?
The closest well-reviewed grocery stores are IGA at 909 Burrard St #110 (3 min walk), Mi Tierra Latina Store - Davie at 1104 Davie St (6 min walk) and Davie Street Your Independent Grocer Vancouver at 1255 Davie St (8 min walk).
Condo buildings near The Butterfly
Downtown South · 470 m away
One Burrard Place
Completed 2021 · 54 storeys
★★★★★ 3.7 from 57 Google reviews
Downtown · 520 m away
Living Shangri-La
Completed 2008 · 61 storeys
No Google rating
Yaletown · 570 m away
8X on the Park
Completed 2019 · 35 storeys
★★★★★ 4.3 from 15 Google reviews
Downtown · 620 m away
The Private Residences at Hotel Georgia
Completed 2013 · 48 storeys
★★★★★ 4.9 from 15 Google reviews
Next steps for The Butterfly
- Tell us the city and we match you with an agent who already works West End.
- Browse agents serving Downtown Vancouver.
- Estimate monthly costs with the condo fee calculator and closing with the property transfer tax calculator.
- Still choosing an area? Start with the best neighbourhoods in Vancouver.
Sources
- Revery Architecture: Butterfly
- Canadian Architect: Revery unveils design of The Butterfly
- Vancouver Condo Network: The Butterfly
- Daily Hive: Internet reacts to interiors at The Butterfly (December 2024)
- BKL Consultants: The Butterfly + First Baptist Church Complex
- Google Maps listing (snapshot September 13, 2026)
- TransLink GTFS static schedule data
- 6 Reddit threads and review pages, linked above
Researched September 13, 2026. Ratings and resident opinion change; check the linked sources for the latest before making a decision.