VANCOUVER | Trump International Hotel & Tower | 616 FT / 188 M | 63 FLOORS

[excel]

A 127-room Ritz-Carlton hotel will occupy the first 20 floors of a new 58-storey, Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower to be built at 1133 West Georgia.

The $500-million-plus Holborn Group project will also contain 123 luxury condos on the top 38 floors - at prices ranging from $1.4 million to $13 million.

Holborn Group bought the property from Cadillac Fairview about three years ago. Demolition of the site is under way, and construction of the hotel/condo tower is set to begin early next year, with an early-2011 opening.

Condos in the "hyper luxury" development will range from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet.

When completed it will be the second tallest building in Vancouver.

Rendering:
http://www.bilsproductions.com/ritzcarltontowerrenderblue.jpg

Initial design:
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8902/1133westgeorgiastreetscuq4.jpg
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/1672/4288picture010bif6.jpg
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8742/4288picture003wr5.jpg

First twisting design:
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5483/1133westgeorgia2cs5.jpg

Second twisting design:
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5560/1153westgeorgiarenderon0.jpg

[excel]

Development site and current demolition progress:

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/8738/ritzcarltondemonotion2ahm2.jpg

Photo taken by SFUVancouver on Aug 8th/07.

[Geofferson]

Love it!
Wish calgary could get something like that

[raggedy13]

Thanks for starting up this thread excel. Can't wait to see that thing rise. :cheers:

Here's another rendering:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/vannmann/ritz-carlton.jpg

[Hot Rod]

Ritz-Carleton Hotel and Residences, VANCOUVER


The Ritz-Carleton will be across the street from the new Shangri-La tower, also under-construction. This beauty will be 600' and will be 58-Storeys tall.

The site is under-construction/destruction now to remove the concrete bomb-shell there on W. Georgia Street that was originally supposed to be a mid-rise office tower. Construction of the tower is slated for next year.

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5519/ritzcarltontowerrenderbbh5.jpg
www.vancouversturn.ca

Simply Magnificent. ... :worship:

Ritz-Carlton coming to downtown Vancouver
By Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, August 16, 2007

The world-renowned Ritz-Carlton hotel brand will touch down in Vancouver by 2011.

A 127-room Ritz-Carlton hotel will occupy the first 20 floors of a new 58-storey, Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower to be built at 1133 West Georgia.

The $500-million-plus Holborn Group project will also contain 123 luxury condos on the top 38 floors - at prices ranging from $1.4 million to $13 million.

We've been talking to the developer about Vancouver for over four years," Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company senior vice-president Michael Beckley said in an interview. "Toronto and Vancouver have been in our sights for quite a long time, so we're very happy to have such a great location."

U.S.-based Ritz-Carlton operates 63 hotels in 21 countries, but none in Canada. A Ritz-Carlton hotel in Montreal is not officially part of the chain, but it's expected to join the group after its new owners complete a renovation.

A new Ritz-Carlton hotel in Toronto is expected to open in 2009.

Beckley said there are just a few cities in Canada where a high-end Ritz-Carlton hotel will thrive, and Vancouver is clearly one of them. He also said it was important to join forces with a quality developer like Holborn, controlled by Vancouver entrepreneur Simon Lim.

"That's very important to us because we can't put our name on a building and have it fail," Beckley said. "We just can't have that."

The Georgia Street location, between Thurlow and Bute, has been a vacant and derelict Vancouver eyesore for more than a decade. It was originally to be a private members' club and then a strata-title office building in the 1990s, but both projects failed and it has remained a concrete shell ever since.

Holborn Group bought the property from Cadillac Fairview about three years ago. Demolition of the site is under way, and construction of the hotel/condo tower is set to begin early next year, with an early-2011 opening.

The condo portion of the project will be called Residences at Ritz-Carlton, and the entire building will be managed by Ritz-Carlton. Condo owners will have access to hotel amenities like 24-hour room service, a concierge, housekeeping service, and staffing for special entertainment events.

The 1100-block West Georgia area has become a hotbed of upscale boutique hotel projects, with the 77-room Loden planning to open its new property near Melville and Bute this fall, while the 119-room Shangri-La Hotel is scheduled to open near Georgia and Thurlow in September 2008.

Beckley knows there will be a lot of competition in the area, and said that's a big reason why Ritz-Carlton chose to operate a relatively small hotel in Vancouver.

"Wherever we put a Ritz-Carlton, we shoot to be number-one, and it will be possible to achieve that because the hotel isn't that large," he said.

Beckley said bigger hotels require meeting and convention space, which can lead to convention attendees wandering around all over the place.

"That can make it hard to get to the level of sophistication you want," he said.

Beckley said the new hotel will target high-end global business and leisure travelers, and notes the chain has a large database of clients who like to stay at Ritz-Carlton hotels all over the world.

He said the company originally wanted to open the hotel in time for the 2010 Olympics.

"But rather than rush it, we're content to come in behind the event. The Olympics will put Vancouver on the global map, and we'll be out there marketing ourselves during the Olympic year."

Shangri-La Hotel general manager Stephen Darling welcomes the entry of the Ritz-Carlton brand to the Vancouver market.

"We're very respectful of Ritz-Carlton and see them as one of our primary competitors in North America," he said. "When a top-end brand comes to Vancouver, it's going to have a tremendously positive effect on the overall market."

Vancouver realtor Bob Rennie, who is marketing the project, said he's not surprised the western portion of the downtown core has attracted so many new hotel/condo developments.

"It's the only land left in the city," he said. "You just can't find major downtown sites any more. We've been undersupplied in the luxury hotel market so hoteliers have been wanting in."

Rennie said condos in the "hyper luxury" development will range from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet and expects to attract many downsizing local buyers from "signature" neighbourhoods such as Point Grey, Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale and West Vancouver.

Preview events are expected to begin later this month, with sales beginning in October or November.
bconstantineau@png.canwest.com




© Vancouver Sun


Project History

FROM:

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8902/1133westgeorgiastreetscuq4.jpg

Taken by Phesto.

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/1672/4288picture010bif6.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8742/4288picture003wr5.jpg

TO Twisting Tower:

Flat Floorplate
http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/5483/1133westgeorgia2cs5.jpg

Curving Floorplate
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5560/1153westgeorgiarenderon0.jpg

INTO THIS:

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/2de3e3f6-b472-4835-9142-3ead50913788/ritz-carlton.jpg

Looks like the city got it right with the final rendering. :tup:

credits to all who have posted in previous threads. HR, :)

[Aleks]

wow!! It's so nice. Why does Vancouver like spining towers. Isn't Shangri-La supposed to have a spinning floor plate too?

[Austin55]

ohh,go vancouver! very sleek.

[atl2phx]

beautiful. :tup:

[Canadian Mind]

wow!! It's so nice. Why does Vancouver like spining towers. Isn't Shangri-La supposed to have a spinning floor plate too?

We have a ludicrous number of view cones in the city, often criss-crossing building sites. To compensate for this, architects shape the buildings around the view cones. In this case, the building twists to avoid a 350' view cone, and ends up in an area that allows up to 600' development.

The Shangri-la itself doesn't twist, it has a triangular floor plate to avoid the same view cone as the Ritz.

Other examples of buildings shaped around the view cone include shaw tower, park place, and I believe the Bentall 5 building is orientated on its site to avoid a view cone.

[vanhattan]

I am so excited by this final design. Wish I could live there! Won't someone PLEASE buy me a condo there???

[Wooster]

Shouldn't this be in the proposals section, not the under construction section?

Nice tower by the way. :D

[excel]

^The demolition is already underway this is the site and its current progress:
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/8738/ritzcarltondemonotion2ahm2.jpg

[Ltrain]

Canada is seriously getting some beautiful world-class towers.

[Aleks]

was that thing under construction when they decided to tear it down?!?!

[Complex01]

That is a sweet looking tower...

[eburress]

I'm jealous...I wish San Diego would get some buildings like these. It's too bad they didn't proceed with the flat floorplate version - that was my favorite.

[Hot Rod]

eburress, I think vancouver has very many towers similar to the flat floorplate. I think we need more modern, smooth designed towers that are architecturally significant;

and surely the smooth and sexy Ritz-Carleton sets the bar HIGH in this regard!!!

[soleri]

Arthur Erickson is a celebrated Vancouver architect, but I wonder if he's going to get knocked for plagiarizing Calatrava's Twisting Torso idea. This is a very nice building, however, and a departure from Erickson's somewhat rigid designs in concrete. Vancouver needs better skyscraper architecture and this is a step in the right direction.

[Cypherus]

Nicest building in Vancouver, without a question. The current site has an old concrete shell leftover from a previous building that was under construction, but I think the developer ran into financial problems and had to cancel construction.

[phesto]

Nicest building in Vancouver, without a question. The current site has an old concrete shell leftover from a previous building that was under construction, but I think the developer ran into financial problems and had to cancel construction.

The existing structure was an office building that was built in the early 60's. In the late 80's, the building was bought by a group of Asian investors who planned to turn it into a private club with residences, but their financing fell through as the building was being retrofitted. Two subsequent owners proposed office towers for the site, however, the office market wouldn't support it at the time, and the structure was left vacant for well over a decade.

Now we can be glad the 3 previous proposal failed as this latest one is a beauty.

[Hot Rod]

^ :tup: Definitely.

[nikw]

Personally I don't think that it's that special. Sure it's nice that Vancouver is thinking taller... but the only redeeming feature is that it twists 45 degrees.The twisting design may look neat if your standing close to it but from certain angles and distances it will look like a flat, plain shiny wall.

It is similar to the Shangri-la across the street in terms of the cladding except for the fact that the Shangri-la has those little squares that change colour all over the building. From a ways away they will look like two shiny, reflective walls together.

Don't get me wrong... I like the fact that they are taller than most in Vancouver and I would rather have them than anything else, and he latest design is the best out of them, but I don't get what all the major hype is about.

[Cypherus]

but I don't get what all the major hype is about.

Simple: it's an aesthetically-pleasing building to look at. Think about how many twisty towers are built around the world. This style of architecture is not pervasive in many world cities, and it brings something new to an architecture table other than the slim, tall, square skyscraper.

[Hot Rod]

From Delirium.

here's an update of the demolition, compliments of http://www.flickr.com/photos/vacantready/

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/1251547844_411256c06d_o.jpg

[FastFerrari82]

those designs for this building are all great...think the Ritz looks the best of the bunch when it comes to hotels be build...better than the one in La..the Shangri-La in Vancouver...and Trump in Toronto...imho

[excel]

New renderings:

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz1.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz2.jpg

[TOBoy]

This will be one of the best skyscraper projects in Canada.

[SFUVancouver]

Ritz-Carlton construction precinct. The demolition of the Shell Building is nearly complete.
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/245/ritzcarltonshellbldgdembh1.jpg

Ritz-Carlton construction precinct. Close-up of demolition work.
http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/1298/ritzcarltonshellbldgdempx7.jpg

Ritz-Carlton sales centre.
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/572/ritzcarltonsalescentresyr4.jpg

[Aleks]

This building is awesome and who ever doesn't like it must have no taste. I think that it's not just another twisting tower, but a great wonder for the Northwestern North America. It's the first complete twisting building in the Western North America, how can you not be proud of having this?

Anyways, good luck to Vancouver and if somebody doesn't like the design they can always make it here in Seattle.

[eburress]

I liked the previous version of the building a little better, but this one is certainly quite nice too. :)

[204]

Shouldn't this be in the proposals section, not the under construction section?

Because it's not a proposal? Construction has begun.

[LeftCoaster]

Well not really, demolition of the existing structure is nearly complete but construction has not technically begun on the RC tower.

[Knightwing]

Kinda like this one

[Hot Rod]

bump

[SFUVancouver]

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3117/ritzcarltondemolitionanpi0.jpg
The old Shell Building is nearly gone.

Preparing the pit to begin construction of several levels of underground parking and mechanicals may take a little longer than usual because the Ritz-Carlton will use a ground-source heat exchange system. This will provide the tower with heating and cooling but will require the drilling of a couple hundred bore holes for the heatpipes.

Behind the carcass of the Shell Building one can see the Shangri-La Vancouver Hotel and Residences quickly rising to become Vancouver's tallest building at 197 metres.

[FastFerrari82]

very nice location...to bad though...would have been nice to see em both go up at the same time...but not enough room for either to work with

[Phil McAvity]

This location will clearly be the epicenter for Vancouver's new skyline. I just hope that Vancouver doesn't do what Toronto did with it's skyline many years ago and have it hyper-focused in a very small area. Unfortunately, these two towers (The Ritz and the Shangri-La) point in that direction.

[Hot Rod]

bump

[squeezied]

what's wrong with having a tall buildings concentrated in a small area? i actually like it, has a dome-shaped appeal

[raggedy13]

I think having the two close together will look quite good... more like a WTC twin tower effect than Toronto. I certainly wouldn't want to replicate the Toronto skyline effect (luckily Toronto is in the process of remedying this).

[Hot Rod]

the bomb shell is finally gone and they are working on the subterranian now.

[Phil McAvity]

ooops!

[Phil McAvity]

I think having the two close together will look quite good... more like a WTC twin tower effect than Toronto. I certainly wouldn't want to replicate the Toronto skyline effect (luckily Toronto is in the process of remedying this).

I agree. The one thing i don't like about TO's skyline is how it's clustered together in such a small area. It's too bad these two monsters (The Ritz and the Shangri-La) will be so close together. That's why i really like Montreal's skyline, it's spread out a bit. Regardless of this minor gripe, both buildings are very welcome in my mind.

[Canadian Mind]

This location will clearly be the epicenter for Vancouver's new skyline. I just hope that Vancouver doesn't do what Toronto did with it's skyline many years ago and have it hyper-focused in a very small area. Unfortunately, these two towers (The Ritz and the Shangri-La) point in that direction.

not particularly, I remember When it was just RBC, Bentall4, Bentall 3, and Park Place in their own small cluster. The skyline filled out around them to create a tabletop effect. same thing will happen with Shangri-la and RC. The skyline will soon be full of dozens of 500+ footers (Hotel Georgia is one of these) within the next 10-15 years.

[Phil McAvity]

^ But at that time there was also Granville Square, Scotiabank, TD and the Harbour Centre to spread things out a bit, so Vancouver's skyline wasn't nearly as small and focused as TO's. I expect you are right about Vancouver's future tabletop skyline. It will be similar to how it is now in the next 15 years or so, just taller.

[LeftCoaster]

This location will clearly be the epicenter for Vancouver's new skyline. I just hope that Vancouver doesn't do what Toronto did with it's skyline many years ago and have it hyper-focused in a very small area. Unfortunately, these two towers (The Ritz and the Shangri-La) point in that direction.

Weird... thats what I love about Toronto's skyline... same with Singapore's skyline. Oh well to each their own I suppose

[Canadian Mind]

I'm more a fan of Vancouver's tabletop skyline, but with intermittent peaks and step ups. So for the current skyline, one peak would be by Shangri-la, another would go up around Wall Centre, preferably one in the West End aswell, and finally one up in around Gastown/Downtown Eastside.

[LeftCoaster]

New rendering, nothing too exciting, just a night view.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/ArtistRendering6.jpg

[FRED]

nice architecture !!!!

[raggedy13]

Progress as of today...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9826.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9828.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9833.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9834.jpg

[raggedy13]

It will be interesting to see how far this has progressed by the time the Olympics are in town.

[gERoNimO]

BEAUTIFUL!! I love the twisting design.

[Cypherus]

I hope this building can be at least 70% completed by the Olympics...

[pablosan]

That's a pretty interesting structure.

[a chicago bearcat]

I hope this building can be at least 70% completed by the Olympics...

It's 600 ft and we have more than 2 years until the Olympics.

so barring tragedy, this will definitely be topped out by the opening ceremonies

my favorite, or maybe rather favourite of this vancouver boom
and one of the most elegant of those being built anywhere in the world

right up there with aqua, the London bridge shard and Foster's tower in Dubai

[Hong Kongese]

Imagine this " snake" is 700 ft tall.

[Rojo]

Nice project and a good design. I love this city!

[Canadian Mind]

It's 600 ft and we have more than 2 years until the Olympics.

so barring tragedy, this will definitely be topped out by the opening ceremonies

my favorite, or maybe rather favourite of this vancouver boom
and one of the most elegant of those being built anywhere in the world

right up there with aqua, the London bridge shard and Foster's tower in Dubai

Not in Vancouver's tight labour market.

[SFUVancouver]

The existing building on the site has been completely demolished and the project is gearing up to begin excavation in earnest. Apparently 80% of the residential condos have been sold to date while the uppermost penthouse is listed at $28 million and garnering expressions of interest.

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1830/p1050015rl2.jpg
(My photo)

[zerokarma]

Looks good

[priller]

Another twisting building. Calatrava, look what you've done!

[Complex01]

Wow 2 tall new buildings right next to each other. Like the design. Very Kewl...


:wizard:

[raggedy13]

From today's Vancouver Sun:

Top Canadian firm gets nod to design glitzy Ritz-Carlton
Yabu Pushelberg has designed major hotel and commercial properties throughout the world

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/vasn/20080308/268406-86174.jpg
Interior designer Glenn Pushelberg, who is designing the new Ritz-Carlton, envisions a glamorous hotel with a subtle West Coast feel.
Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun

Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, March 08, 2008

Renowned Canadian interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg will design the upscale Ritz-Carlton hotel scheduled to open in Vancouver by 2011.

Snaring the company is considered a significant coup for the project, as the firm -- with offices in Toronto and New York -- has designed major hotel and commercial properties throughout the world.

Glenn Pushelberg, who co-founded the company with George Yabu in 1980, envisions a hotel that's "sophisticated and a little bit glamorous" with a subtle West Coast feel.

"I think there's a lot of plagiarism in the hotel world and things can get a bit trite," he said in an interview Friday. "Not that it's bad but I've told (our team) don't make it look like the Vancouver airport because that's too obvious.

"At the same time, there are materials and processes that are intrinsic to the place and feel comfortable but it should be less obvious."

The 127-room Ritz-Carlton hotel will occupy the first 20 floors of a new 60-storey, Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower at 1133 West Georgia. The $500-million-plus hotel-condo project is being developed by the Holborn Group, controlled by Vancouver entrepreneur Simon Lim.

Yabu Pushelberg's project list is impressive. After designing the new Tiffany store on Wall Street and the W Hotel in Times Square, the company is working on six new hotel projects throughout New York.

It also designed the hyper-chic, 77-room Hazelton Hotel in Toronto -- widely touted to become that city's first-ever five-diamond-rated property.

"Toronto didn't have any glamorous hotels so we gave them something glamorous," Pushelberg said. "We saw the Hazelton as more European, with spaces that are smaller and more intimate."

The Ritz-Carlton hotel is his company's first Vancouver project since designing the Leone store in the 1980s. Pushelberg said he's excited at the chance to work with Erickson, who touted Yabu Pushelberg's abilities to the U.S. media after finding out the company designed the Leone outlet.

"We had never met him but he arranged this dinner in Toronto to introduce us to the American media," he said. "So we have always wanted to do a project with Arthur, who is an incredibly talented architect."

Pushelberg, 54, feels every hotel project needs its own "visual language" and thinks the Vancouver Ritz-Carlton tower's iconic architecture will draw people from a distance.

"We think the hotel needs to kind of segue from something iconic to something emotional because hotel experiences are emotional experiences," he said.

The unique Erickson twisting design of the building will throw more than a few curves at the Yabu Pushelberg team.

"It's a design challenge because every room is different, which forces you to make many different layouts," Pushelberg said. "From a guest point of view, it will be interesting because when you go back, you will always have a new experience."

He said hotels are very much public social spaces now so he expects the Ritz-Carlton lobby will feature contrasts, a "point of view," comfortable seating and a mix of beautiful art and unique architecture.

Pushelberg feels Ritz-Carlton is searching for the "new luxury" as it breaks out of its old "Americana" mold.

"There was a time in the 1980s when the guys that ran the show were designing for themselves," he said. "But those guys are in their 70s now and its people in their 30s to 50s who are the customers and they're looking for a new point of view in luxury."

Though not a big fan of the term "world class," Pushelberg feels Vancouver has a lot going for it now -- incredible outdoor activities, a diverse population, a great urban fabric, a good stock of architecture and a West Coast point of view.

"There are a lot of strengths here and we want to contribute to that to make a lovely hotel for Vancouver," he said.

bconstantineau@png.canwest.com


© The Vancouver Sun 2008

[SpongeG]

some not so good news

Work halted on Ritz-Carlton condo-hotel tower

Work has stopped at yet another development in Metro Vancouver. This time it's a high profile $500 million hotel and condo tower on West Georgia St., between Thurlow and Bute.


It was supposed to be home to a 60-story high rise with a swanky Ritz-Carlton hotel and million dollar condos. But work has stopped before it even began.


On Tuesday morning, work crews locked up the site, which is little more than a gaping hole.

They'd been told by the developer The Holborn Group that the project will be put on hold


Holborn officials were unavailable for comment and a Vancouver real estate marketing executive wasn't revealing much either.


"I can only say what an owner authorized me to say, which is right now he's re-evaluating the design of the parkade and he doesn't want to have to pay for people on site,'' said Bob Rennie of Rennie Marketing Systems.




Holborn has not said when he will begin building again. Fifty per cent of the high end condos have already been pre-sold.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20081021/450_bc_ritz_carlton_081021.jpg
Work has stopped at a high rise project in downtown Vancouver that was supposed to be home to the Ritz Carlton hotel. Oct. 21, 2008. (Photo credit Rennie Marketing Systems)


http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20081021/160_bc_ritz_carlton_081021.jpg

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081021/BC_ritz_carlton_condo_081021/20081021/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

[SpongeG]

Update: Construction suspended on Ritz Carlton hotel/condo

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Construction has been halted at the massive Ritz-Carlton hotel/condo development in downtown Vancouver. But a prominent real estate promoter says the project is not falling victim to the world-wide credit crunch.

Bob Rennie says construction was halted while the developer (the Holborn Group) re-evaluates design changes to the structure and attached parkade. Right now the 58-storey, $500 million project is only a hole in the ground along Georgia (between Thurlow and Bute), as work stopped last Friday and all signage promoting the building has been removed. The sales office is open by appointment only.

The City of Vancouver says all the plans for the site were approved, and nothing has changed at their end. Speculation has questioned the financial health of the project (20 storey hotel/38 storey luxury condo), considering the recent financial downturn and squeezing of credit markets.

Rennie admits the condo project is only 50% sold, and about 50% of the foundation excavation was complete. There is no indication as to when construction work will resume. Rennie says similar concerns have been raised at other projects in the past, but there's no reason to believe the project won't go ahead.

http://rogersradiointernet.com/BC/CKWX/images/2007/ritz-carlton%20construction%20oct2108.jpg
Construction equipment left at empty work site
News1130 Photo

http://www.news1130.com/news/topstory/article.jsp?content=20081021_173453_22248

[rather_draconian]

Oh Spongeg, this news will keep me up at night worrying about the status of this building. I think this building is the most exciting project to grace Vancouver....EVER :(

[TOBoy]

The problem is that sometimes they make it sound like everything is fine, and then you realize later they had no intention of ever starting up again.

They don't want to mess with losing the Ritz Carlton as it is unlikely any other hotel company will make a commitment in the current climate. Hopefully the developer wont be stupid about this.

[DrT]

Maybe if they lowered the prices a bit on the condos, there would be more pre-sales. The asking prices here are astronomical. They need to get with reality and adjust pricing downward.

[raggedy13]

Some good news in the last couple days - work on site has recommenced.

[george]

Beautiful, sleek tower. I like the twist, curving volume & rounded corners. Hope it stays on track.

[raggedy13]

The latest news is that excavation is nearly complete and that hydro has been run to the site line.

[Complex01]

This one is back, very kewl...

:cool:

[Mininari]

Any updates?
Are they still working on this?

[raggedy13]

^Work is still going on. Here is an update by awvan from Jan. 20:

A fair amount of work going on-site today.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3213052589_c1781a897d_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/3213051975_54239a7c24_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3456/3213051229_b8aee3bfa9_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3213050271_1ea2369499_b.jpg

[george]

This is quite a foundation pit. Are the walls new poured concrete or some reinforced sprayed retention system?

[raggedy13]

^I think it is shotcrete-covered metal mesh, or some such thing.

[Nites]

Any new updates? It's been 5 months since the last one.

[VanTowers]

This project is back on!!

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A downtown Vancouver condo and hotel project that was halted in the market slump could be coming back to life in a less-grand form. The developer of the 600-foot Ritz-Carlton put the project on hold in February as others were cancelled.

Holborn Group President and CEO Joo Kim Tiah says "the project is going forward", but will be different inside the spiralling tower of almost 60 storeys, designed by the late Arthur Erickson. The plan now is for a smaller hotel and more condos, with units that are smaller and more affordable to suit the current market.

Tiah adds it might not be under the same banner. The Ritz-Carlton was originally at the top of the market: one pre-sale was for $28 million. Tiah hopes construction can begin this fall, but it could be affected by the City of Vancouver wanting construction halted for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He says he doesn't want to wait until next March to begin construction.

Basically the inside of the building is being change to make the project more affordable to live in and to build, and the hotel will be much smaller. However, the outside of the building will stay the same along with the height which is what really matters here.:banana:

[Complex01]

So how tall will it be now?

[TOBoy]

So how tall will it be now?

However, the outside of the building will stay the same along with the height which is what really matters here.

The last line in Vantowers post.

I think this is great news. I think buyers from the original project should get first dibs at reduced rates if they are still interested. I know this wont happen, but it would be nice.

[craner]

This is awesome news - couln't have asked for more really. I hope they start construction as soon as they can (despite what the city wants).
:banana:

[Davis137]

After looking at those pics, that's a big friggen hole!

[Nites]

Any new pics? It's been a little over a month.

[raggedy13]

Latest update on this project:

Height has been increased to 188m (616ft) from 183m (600ft) - approved by City council Dec 15th. The floor count has jumped to 67 floors thanks to the increased height as well as decreasing the overall floor-to-floor height.

Action on site should recommence after the Olympics, so likely March/April. However conditional to the approved height increase, they must now excavate a bit deeper to add more parking.

[Hypothalamus]

Update:

VANCOUVER | Trump International Hotel & Tower | 616 FT / 188 M | 63 FLOORS
(per Skyscraper Center (http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/vancouver/trump-international-hotel-%26-tower-vancouver/2196/))

As of March 9th, 2014...

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2872/13258349593_d4569f8cdb_b.jpg
IMG_7011 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/52692029@N04/13258349593/) by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

[TriWolf]

Any updates?

[raggedy13]

Long overdue for an update!

Here's a great canyon shot from mcminsen on April 25th...
A shot I got today looking east on Georgia Street.


April 25 '15, my pic
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1600x1200q90/673/7NLLdF.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/ip7NLLdFj)


Nice pic by Pinion showing the impact on the skyline from May 1st...
From just now

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7760/16717426993_121312b390_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rtgbBT)Downtown from Harbourside, North Vancouver (https://flic.kr/p/rtgbBT) by chrisjohann (https://www.flickr.com/people/90818546@N04/), on Flickr

Enhance!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7742/17130238387_1c1edbdb61_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/s6JX4H)North Vancouver (https://flic.kr/p/s6JX4H) by chrisjohann (https://www.flickr.com/people/90818546@N04/), on Flickr


Some pics by Yellow Fever over on SSC from May 4th...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7782/17363701071_441f57cec7_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ssnvop)IMG_9710 (https://flic.kr/p/ssnvop) by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity (https://www.flickr.com/people/52692029@N04/), on Flickr

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7770/17364053055_5340e29d77_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/sspj26)IMG_9711 (https://flic.kr/p/sspj26) by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity (https://www.flickr.com/people/52692029@N04/), on Flickr


And nice update by Klazu from May 10th...
Three years has passed and Shangri-La is not alone anymore. The photos don't align perfectly as I happened to take them from different room (silly me). My apologies for that.

http://vuosiamaailmalla.fi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/ennen_trump_toweria.jpg

http://vuosiamaailmalla.fi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/trump_tower48.jpg

So glad to see this tower nearing completion after so many years of waiting.

[Zapatan]

Vancouver is so beautiful sweet Jesus

[Design-mind]

Vancouver is so beautiful sweet Jesus

Not to mention some world class architecture going up.

[ssiguy]

I like the new Vancouver Trump and it's light years ahead of the monstrosity he built in Toronto.

[colemonkee]

Trump didn't build either of these, he simply licenses his name to developers. So blame the developers in Toronto for not having a decent design vision. One can only blame Trump for his general douchiness. And his hair.

[Calgarian]

The Trump family was involved in the Vancouver one, Ivanka has been there a few times to oversee things.

[raggedy13]

^Trump has been involved with marketing etc. but the design was already completed before he came into the picture. It was originally supposed to be a Ritz-Carlton hotel but they pulled out...

http://www.vancouver-real-estate-direct.com/nogo/images/cancelled-ritz.jpg
Source: http://www.vancouver-real-estate-direct.com/ (Vancouver Real Estate Direct)

[photoLith]

This is a good looking tower but Vancouver is itching for a supertall.

[Zapatan]

Not to mention some world class architecture going up.

Truth. This building is top notch :)

[Urbannizer]

9/2015:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=7181809&postcount=3949

Sept.29 '15, my pics
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5831/21639090639_548e55505e_b.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5801/21638344610_7f2f380b5c_b.jpg

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/590/21835971511_96b288a9d3_b.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5643/21835982131_11c9ef17b7_b.jpg

[tateyb]

Podium of Trump Tower Vancouver Nearing Completion (http://skyrisecities.com/news/2015/11/podium-trump-tower-vancouver-nearing-completion)

Developed by The Trump Organization and Holborn Group, the tower portion of the development appears to be mostly complete when looking from street level, as we described in an earlier story. However, next to the lobby area, the podium section of the adjacent Terasen Gas building is still waiting on its granite cladding, as seen in the picture below. Indeed, the image shows missing grey-coloured blocks on the structure that received a glass penthouse type of addition as part of the Trump development. The wall facing the pedestrian plaza in front of the entrance that currently sits empty will soon be covered in a lush green wall.

[Urbannizer]

Complete

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/609/33083548730_eec740c8b8_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SptQqA)
Vancouver, BC (https://flic.kr/p/SptQqA) by Trey Benke (https://www.flickr.com/photos/41789275@N08/), on Flickr

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3854/33250943012_5413f873a2_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SEgLUU)Vancouver Skyline from Jericho Beach (https://flic.kr/p/SEgLUU) by Vick Sahota (https://www.flickr.com/photos/spaied/), on Flickr