The Giants murals on Granville Island transform six towering concrete silos into one of Vancouver’s most joyful and recognizable public artworks. Created in 2014 by renowned Brazilian artists OSGEMEOS, the 70-foot-tall figures wrap around the Ocean Concrete plant, bringing colour, character, and a larger-than-life presence to the False Creek shoreline. Half of the figures face the water, meeting boaters and kayakers with bright expressions; the others look inward toward the island, adding a playful backdrop to its studios, markets, and pathways.

Commissioned by the Vancouver Biennale, Giants was conceived as a way to give depth and scale to the artists’ signature mural style. The project became the largest of their career at the time, using thousands of spray-paint cans and reshaping an industrial site into a beloved landmark. While the future of the murals has been a subject of discussion due to ongoing maintenance costs, their impact on Vancouver’s skyline—and on Granville Island’s creative identity—remains undeniable.

Vivid, monumental, and full of personality, Giants stands as one of the city’s most photographed public artworks and an enduring symbol of how art can animate even the most unexpected spaces.