Telus Garden | 135m, 88m | 46fl res, 22fl office | 928,000sqft | Completed

[SFUVancouver]

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f58/hirtus1/li-110309-telus-gardens-1.jpg
Source: CBC (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/09/bc-telus-towers-vancouver.html)

Telus to build new headquarters in Vancouver

Telus has announced plans to rebuild its headquarters in downtown Vancouver as part of a $750-million redevelopment plan that will include new office and residential towers.

The plan includes a 22-storey office tower for the communications company's headquarters. Designed by Henriquez Partners Architects, it will be the first of its kind in Canada built to the environmental LEED Platinum standard, according to the company.

"Once complete, Telus's new headquarters will be unique in North America, featuring 10,000 square feet of green roofs providing organic produce for local restaurants, two elevated roof forests, British Columbia artwork, LED lighting on the western façade projecting programmable coloured images on to fritted glass, and media walls where cultural events such as symphony concerts can be broadcast to the public," according to a statement issued by Telus on Wednesday.

The new buildings will be located on the same block already occupied by a Telus building, bounded by West Georgia, Richards, Robson and Seymour streets.

The plan also includes a 44-storey residential tower built to LEED Gold standards on the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall and be completed in 2015.

Read more (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/03/09/bc-telus-towers-vancouver.html)



From the Vancouver Sun:


http://www.vancouversun.com/business/4412307.bin?size=620x400
Souce (http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Telus+eyes+massive+Vancouver+development+house+national+headquarters/4411001/story.html)

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/4412308.bin?size=620x400
Souce (http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Telus+eyes+massive+Vancouver+development+house+national+headquarters/4411001/story.html)


http://www.vancouversun.com/business/4412306.bin?size=620x400
Souce (http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Telus+eyes+massive+Vancouver+development+house+national+headquarters/4411001/story.html)

Telus eyes massive downtown development to house new national headquarters

VANCOUVER — Telus plans to build a spiffy new home in downtown Vancouver that will not only include a 22-storey office complex and 44-storey residential tower, but bring an aging city block to life.

The $750-million project, which requires rezoning by the City of Vancouver, would be completed in 2015 if council approves the project and construction gets underway later this year as planned.

The one-million-square-foot development is also planned to be one of the most technologically and environmentally advanced sites in the world that includes 10,000 square feet of green roofs for growing organic produce, two elevated roof forests, LED lighting, an office tower built to LEED Platinum standard, a residential tower built to the LEED gold standard, and new heating technologies that would reduce energy consumption by nearly 35 per cent.

As well, the site will be home to Telus’s new national headquarters and will include advanced telecommunications technology to expedite the company’s goal of having 70 per cent of employees working at home or out of offices by 2015, in order to reduce the company’s real estate footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

“This is the most significant next-generation property in Vancouver’s history,” Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle said while announcing the project, Called Telus Garden, at Wednesday’s news conference. “It’s the transformation of an entire city block. We’ll build a cohesive blend of commercial space, homes, restaurants and it’s going to be very, very cool.

“It will inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy and revitalize the area.”

Read more (http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Telus+eyes+massive+downtown+development+house+national+headquarters/4411001/story.html#ixzz1G9HoKODh)




The original scoop from the Globe and Mail:

Telus tower brings new life to Vancouver's office market

DAVID EBNER AND FRANCES BULA
VANCOUVER— From Monday's Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Nov. 07, 2010 6:16PM EST
Last updated Sunday, Nov. 07, 2010 7:00PM EST
Source (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/telus-tower-brings-new-life-to-vancouvers-office-market/article1789120/)

The downtown Vancouver peninsula – which appeared headed for resort-town status, crowded only with residential condos – is poised for a commercial office building renaissance, as Telus (T-T45.731.322.97%) prepares to unveil a new headquarters.

The $500-million-plus Telus project expected to be announced this week joins a similarly large proposal two weeks ago from a group that includes Vancouver billionaire Jimmy Pattison. Three other real estate companies are close to building significant new office space as well.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/telus-tower-brings-new-life-to-vancouvers-office-market/article1789120/

[Edited by admin]

[Yume-sama]

The architect on the Telus project is the celebrated Gregory Henriquez, noted most recently for his Westbank-backed Woodward’s project

Must see renders now :P

If only this was one combined 65 storey tower lol

[Locked In]

That's fantastic news! Can't wait to see renders and get more information.
Given the major office-tower announcements over the last month or so, how about one week SSP-moratorium on whining about the resortification of Vancouver.

[Metro-One]

:previous: hehe, I'll stop once I see a few of these projects actually completed, we have been seeing proposals for years now with no movement, but this one to me seems the most solid!

[mr.x]

“It’s stunning,” said one person closely involved in the project. “It doesn’t look like any office building you’ve seen.”


I can't wait!

One can only wonder what other projects are still behind wraps.


But doesn't it seem premature to say that the tide is now turning in favour of office developments? Considering all of the residential-only developments we've seen during the last decade (or two even), office has a long....long way to go...

[Alex Mackinnon]

These new announcements are making wonder when work is going to get going on Metrotower 3 again?

[giallo]

Must see renders now :P

If only this was one combined 65 storey tower lol

Hehe. I thought it WAS a 65 storey tower at first.

I jumped out of my seat when I read Henriquez is the architect. I'm very excited to see the renderings of this project.

[officedweller]

It'll be interesting to see what it looks like - "not like any office tower you've seen" may be a bad thing.

Mind you, if a single tenant is driving the development, then you aren't as restricted in design since you don't have to market the building to potential tenants. Windows could be made smaller, etc.

My concern would be for a "busy" facade (i.e. cluttered with the latest and greatest "green" features).

[whatnext]

Will there be increased employment downtown as a result of this proposal? From what I've heard, Telus' employment growth has all been in the Phillipines!

[jlousa]

Wow I'm shocked. That this has been made public already. And yes the renders will be incredible. :tup:

[Yume-sama]

I bet it's somehow animal shaped to fit in with the Telus theme. Maybe we need our own ugly elephant building! :P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_Building

[squeezied]

So what's going to happen to the current head office in Burnaby? I'm guessing opperations will be shifted to the new tower? yes?

[GeeCee]

These new announcements are making wonder when work is going to get going on Metrotower 3 again?

I don't think it'll be anytime soon.. there's kind of a glut of office space in Burnaby, especially with the large vacancies at the Still Creek office space getting even worse if this project gets off the ground with Telus moving downtown.

Then again, I don't really know much about towers and office space. I'm more interested in transit stuff. :tup:

That being said, RENDERS!

[Mike K.]

Just a reminder that full copyrighted articles cannot be posted to the forum. Article posting guidelines are available here (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/announcement.php?f=28&a=313) :)

[Stingray2004]

I'm sure it's gonna be a great project but the office component is only 22 stories? Whatever happened to the office building glory days of the 1970's and into the 1980's?

[red-paladin]

I'm sure it's gonna be a great project but the office component is only 22 stories? Whatever happened to the office building glory days of the 1970's and into the 1980's?

Telus is the only company in 'The Boot' in Burnaby. Probably they want to be the only tenant in this new building too. Also, even if they wanted to build a larger building and share it, they'd have to wait for most of the other space to be leased out, and it sounds like that would take longer than they want to wait.

[Yume-sama]

I'm sure it's gonna be a great project but the office component is only 22 stories? Whatever happened to the office building glory days of the 1970's and into the 1980's?

I recall jlo mentioning that it's quite a fat building, so... short and fat. A lot of square feet for Telus. Correct me if I'm wrong :D?

And it does stand to reason that Telus would be the *only* tenant.

[dleung]

22 stories & fat is the worst combo possible. That's about 300 feet, perfect for tabletop skyline, and too fat for vertical phasing. 10-15 stories & fat would be a nice podium for 30 stories of slender residential/hotel on top, whereas 22 stories office + 20 stories residential will look ugly... I'm always thinking of CBD projects in terms of an ultimate goal of reaching 550 feet or more.

...maybe i'll just wait for a render =)

[jlousa]

I think there is definitely some confusion surrounding two completely different proposals on the table. I can't offer any details yet as I'm not even sure this was supposed to be public already.

[LeftCoaster]

Well I dont really know what to expect, but with Henriquez at the helm I assume it will be architecturally fantastic, even if it may be short.

That said I am a little disappointed by 22 stories, if that is in fact the height. I wasnt expecting some 600ft monolith by any means but even I am disappointed by 22.

Looking forward to some clarification when it comes.

[Prometheus]

A whole 22 floors?

I guess the skyscraper crowd on here can just sit down and shut their mouths now.

[dreambrother808]

There's still the accompanying 43 storey residential tower.

[Prometheus]

There's still the accompanying 43 storey residential tower.

Whoa! A 43-storey residential tower in Vancouver? That's just so wicked!

Bulletin to the pro-business, free-enterprise, skyscraper crowd: pop the champagne corks! A renaissance has arrived!

[Yume-sama]

Yeah. It really should have been a 65 storey mixed-use building. :P

But, then someone would forget they're in Vancouver when they can't see past it.

[SFUVancouver]

Just a reminder that full copyrighted articles cannot be posted to the forum. Article posting guidelines are available here (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/announcement.php?f=28&a=313) :)

My apologies. Thank you for the editing.

[Phil McAvity]

A whole 22 floors?

I guess the skyscraper crowd on here can just sit down and shut their mouths now.

Since you didn't include yourself in that "crowd", I gotta ask, why would you join a site called "skyscraperpage.com" if you aren't interested in them? :shrug:

[Prometheus]

What happened to the 600-foot twin-tower project mentioned by someone in the rumour thread? He or she said that if it was not permitted to go ahead, Vancouver could lose something it already had. Wasn't that Telus?

At 22-storeys and 43-storeys, these buildings don't exactly fit the description.

[raggedy13]

I'm surprised this already went public. It was only just mentioned in the rumors thread. I'm disappointed by the office tower height for sure, but I'm looking forward to the renderings nonetheless. I like that 40+ storey residential towers have become more the norm as of late but I'm getting a little tired of it already. Any more and we'll have only upped our table-top from 300ft to 400ft. Taller please!

[golog]

so Telus is trying to cash in on the land it owns, getting more residential space approved so that they can get more money than selling it up front by packaging it with jobs+office space.

I want to see the project go ahead, and it does depend on the area of those floors but can't we do better than a 22 / 43 split? If they approve that, shouldn't there at least be a stringent condition that the project proceed regardless of any financial market crash without delays?

[Prometheus]

So, awvan, if these are the 600-foot towers you were referring to in the rumours thread, why was your inside info so completely wrong?

[dleung]

The boot in Burnaby has 640,000 square feet in a 21-storey complex of two buildings. How can they possibly fit that space, let alone a million square feet, in a 22-storey office tower downtown? That's foot-ball field sized floorplates.

[Hed Kandi]

..

[LeftCoaster]

Say what you will about Henriquez, but his projects are not dull. I understand you dont like them because they dont look like they belong on coruscant, but if you are going to criticize someone at least get it right.

[vanlaw]

That would probably make it similar height to 401 West Georgia - Accenture Building - which is 22 floors. 87m/285ft

[phesto]

Ha! I love how people are blasting the project when they haven't even seen it yet.

And I guess some people don't bother to pay attention to the view cone policy that has been discussed on this forum ad nauseum, but A VIEW CONE IMPACTS THIS SITE!!! You cannot do a 600 foot tower. In fact, if you place the office tower on the Georgia side, 22-storeys is about as tall as you can go.

But, as Jlousa pointed out, there is more to this proposal than was outlined in the newspaper article, which doesn't actually say much at all...

There is only about 125,000 sq ft of residential density (about 20 floors) allowed for the block under current zoning and policy, so even with rezoning I have no idea how Westbank expects to get a 43-storey residential tower. :shrug:

[mezzanine]

On the positive side, at least the project was [not] handed over to Cheng.

is this what you meant?

But still, I look forward to this. Westbank and Henriquez are blue chip IMO.

[Yume-sama]

You don't suppose they'd use the moving of a major corporate HQ in to Vancouver as leverage to get 43 floors, do you :P?

[golog]

And I guess some people don't bother to pay attention to the view cone policy that has been discussed on this forum ad nauseum, but A VIEW CONE IMPACTS THIS SITE!!! You cannot do a 600 foot tower. In fact, if you place the office tower on the Georgia side, 22-storeys is about as tall as you can go.

The viewcone limit is around 450', but since it's in the CBD the height limit can be increased to 600' at Council's discretion. If Telus wanted to build a big office tower, with the plan of adding jobs in Vancouver and/or provide additional vacant space to place on the market for now... well what more could Council ask for?

The fact that Telus is proposing a 43fl residential tower, and is partnering with an investment firm, shows that they're in it for the money. The rules should not be relaxed unless Telus offers a fair split of the proposed increase in value. It's possible the initial proposal does that, but it's also more likely they open with a low-ball offer.

[phesto]

You don't suppose they'd use the moving of a major corporate HQ in to Vancouver as leverage to get 43 floors, do you :P?

It's not the height, it's the residential density which is prohibited in the zoning.

Over the past 5 years the City has set up policy to prohibit residential in the CBD area (which includes most of this block). The policy states that commercial capacity has to be maximized before residential will be considered.

The only way I could see them getting away with it is to include some major affordable housing component or cultural amenity...even then it's a stretch.

[wrenegade]

So, awvan, if these are the 600-foot towers you were referring to in the rumours thread, why was your inside info so completely wrong?

It was a rumour, and I posted it as such. I did say that it didn't really seem possible to do two 600 footers because of the viewcones, but I am disappointed to see it only being 22 and 43 stories. I also did not know that there would be residential on the site, but I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, it is Vancouver of course. And I'm not sure why it was wrong. It was second hand info that supposedly came from Gillespie himself, perhaps it was his original vision for the site? I held back on the other info (developer/architect/client) at the time because I wasn't sure of the info, but thought it was worth passing onto SSP.

[SpikePhanta]

Can't wait to see renders! I wonder what type of retail they'll put, it will only add to the vibe of that part of robson even more! Also maybe a new White Spot flagship to replace the one facing Georgia?

[Yume-sama]

:P Ooh, maybe we can have some more unique restaurants like another Earls or Cactus Club, too.

To me it makes perfect sense why Telus is only building 22 floors office. It's for them, nobody else.

And it's certainly better than a parkade.

[SpikePhanta]

:P Ooh, maybe we can have some more unique restaurants like another Earls or Cactus Club, too.

To me it makes perfect sense why Telus is only building 22 floors office. It's for them, nobody else.

And it's certainly better than a parkade.

Wait maybe Boston Pizza? :P

I hate Boston Pizza, but they don't have a downtown location I think.
And plus the Keg, Earls, Cactus clubs, Moxies are already close to that location. I would love to see something like Cactus Club Duinsmuir but White Spot.

I have a feeling the building might look like Bentall 5 phase one. Fat and short but still good looking.

[squeezied]

Question about the site. Not sure if it has been mentioned, but what is the extent of the proposal on this block? Does it include the Telus building? Easypark? Or the entire block?

[golog]

• 520 W Georgia. That address suggests the NE corner of the block, does Telus own the land for the easy park parkade? That lot is ~225' x 125' = 28,125, said to be the location of the 22fl office component while residential is elsewhere on the block (probably SE corner?)
225x125x22= 618,750 sq ft
The SE corner is ~240' long, 240x125=30,000
1mn sq ft total is probably out of range, but in that neighbourhood is possible?
Telus would retain all of its recently upgraded buildings on Seymour, and if built in phases they wouldn't lose any private parking.
• Is there anything behind the timing of this announcement, related to Pattison's? If everyone is surprised to see it mentioned early, maybe the city is behind the leak? It does seem like a swing in momentum towards office space with the current mix of projects, to be just explained by market factors
• The real gem of the area will be the redevelopment of the Canada Post building right across from the Library, but if the new Telus office space is large enough to actually consolidate jobs from other provinces, that new foot traffic will change the area in its own right.

[Yume-sama]

Short and fat, or, it could be only "technically" 22 floors like the 272m NTT DoCoMo Building in Tokyo is technically only 27 floors and doubles as their HQ + a cell tower :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTT_Docomo_Yoyogi_Building

That would be unlike anything we've ever seen before! Though, I'm guessing he just means it's a different shade of sea foam green.

[urbandreamer]

Here's what I think it'll be: 22 floors of offices covering entire site; residential tower on top of half the office building.

[officedweller]

The viewcone limit is around 450', but since it's in the CBD the height limit can be increased to 600' at Council's discretion.

NOPE.

The Higher Buildings Policy is subject to the View Cones Policy.
i.e. The view cones policy trumps the higher buildings policy.
The higher buildings policy only pays lip service to the concept of 600ft tall buildings in all areas that have view cones. The only relaxation of the view cones policy has arisen recently towers allowed to piece the Queen Elizabeth Park view cone.

[Some guy]

Wow, 3 pages of posts and it hasn't even been 24hrs since this thread was created.

[golog]

officedweller
thanks for correcting me on 'higher buildings' vs 'viewcones', I did not know better and thought the height policy was integrated.

I'm coming around to the idea of a 22fl office portion too. Looking at the podiums around downtown and 22fl is enough to be imposing from street level. I wonder what architectural features will show up in the building, it should have some gimmick based on the article. A curvy curtain, an air gap between floors, outdoor boardroom on a garden roof?

[officedweller]

Yeah, that's the dumbest aspect of the two policies - especially when the view cones cover practically all of the core. That's why the higher buildings sites pop up in the oddest places (Pattison; Granville Loops)

[dleung]

I wonder what architectural features will show up in the building, it should have some gimmick based on the article. A curvy curtain, an air gap between floors, outdoor boardroom on a garden roof?

You got it, sort of. Renders based on a massing model from a "reliable source"

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7862/520georgia1.jpg

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/5866/520georgia3.jpg

http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/43/560georgia2.jpg

Richards St view
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4420/520georgiase.jpg

Georgia St view
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/866/520georgiane.jpg

Apparently the green strategy is to tilt all the southwest/southeast faces inward for less solar gain, while doing the opposite for the northeast/northwest facades...

[Prometheus]

Oh God. Why?

[Stingray2004]

Certainly a unique design. But the imagery dates are from as early as April, 2008. That's over 2 1/2 years ago. Has this proposal been hidden behind the scenes for that long? Or has it been altered since?

[Architype]

It's interesting, but I hope they can come up with something better, it looks like a bunch of equipment in a rack about to fall over.

[officedweller]

The office tower still has a fairly small floorplate size.

Looks like high tech - from the 1980s

Think drawings of Concord Pacific's initial office district where Spectrum and Rogers Arena are now located.
What's with the stacked towers?

Compare:

http://www.thehulbertgroup.com/images/Concord_02.jpg
http://www.thehulbertgroup.com/concord_pacific_place.php

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8577/95288734.png (http://img189.imageshack.us/i/95288734.png/)
http://www.dysarchitecture.com/_files/docs/pacific_place.pdf

Sadly, the V-struts on the office tower remind me of the wimpy V-struts on the VanCity Tower @ Main Street.

http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/Images/Buildings/2009/12/13/VancityCentre-002a.jpg

Apparently the green strategy is to tilt all the southwest/southeast faces inward for less solar gain, while doing the opposite for the northeast/northwest facades...

However, they have the west facade angled back. I can tell you that during the summer, the west facade (ie. facing the alley and Seymour) will heat up a lot! - it does in TD Tower, but still not as much as the south side, which they have as vertical in that rendering.

[Yume-sama]

lol I refuse to believe that is it. It can't possibly conceivably be.....

[EastVanMark]

:previous: I wish some of those had been built instead of the redundant crap that is usually built nowadays

[Some guy]

It's interesting, but I hope they can come up with something better, it looks like a bunch of equipment in a rack about to fall over.

I was thinking the same, from a few angles it looks like it is in the process of falling over. :haha:

[mr.x]

I LOVE IT!


We finally have something RADICALLY different from the Vancouver-norm. If this really is the design, I'm almost certain that the up-to-date/higher quality renderings to be released later this week will be absolutely fabulous. It's BOLD, it has attitude and that's a variety this city severely lacks with its buildings.

If this gets shot down, it'll be yet another statement to architects that they should just stay within the Vancouver cookie-cutter/functional norm.



http://www.hongkonghustle.com/wp-content/photos/HSBC_Hong_Kong_headquarter.jpg
http://www.hongkonghustle.com/local-culture/452/feng-shui-landscape-architecture-hong-kong/



http://www.high-rise.architectureandplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/17-Bank-of-China-Tower-Hong-Kong-367m-72F-1990.jpg
http://www.high-rise.architectureandplanning.org/?p=43



http://isi2008.cpu.edu.tw/isi2008/images/taipei101-2.jpg
http://isi2008.cpu.edu.tw/isi2008/10.htm

[jsbertram]

I see the Kingston Hotel is still there in a few of the renders.

Too bad they seem to be holding out & breaking up the continuity of that side of the block.

[jsbertram]

Wait maybe Boston Pizza? :P

I hate Boston Pizza, but they don't have a downtown location I think.
And plus the Keg, Earls, Cactus clubs, Moxies are already close to that location. I would love to see something like Cactus Club Duinsmuir but White Spot.

I have a feeling the building might look like Bentall 5 phase one. Fat and short but still good looking.

What we really need downtown is a TGIFriday's

Also bring back Hooters.

[SpongeG]

and kenny rogers roasters!
i miss the neon and i am sure some would love the neon for granville ;)

[entheosfog]

I see the Kingston Hotel is still there in a few of the renders.

Too bad they seem to be holding out & breaking up the continuity of that side of the block.

I'd be happy to see that building still there but jubilant to see the many parking garages gone.

[Hed Kandi]

..

[AlexYVR]

EPIC. FAIL.



I knew Henriquez was a goof, but this is unbelievable. The grotesque Marine Drive project of 'stacked boxes' has been recycled...and it's coming to a downtown near you.

Thanks for showing us all those pictures again, Hed.

I'm still holding out hope based on JLousa's comment that we'll be amazed! Crude Google maps renderings won't hold a candle to the real thing and I have faith that Henriquez can do something at least a little more elegant than this.

[jlousa]

Everyone will have to be patient for any real renders to be made public, I can assure you that Hed will be dissappointed though.

[LeftCoaster]

So I guess we know its not a fluorescent dog turd then... :haha:

[eduardo88]

Everyone will have to be patient for any real renders to be made public, I can assure you that Hed will be dissappointed though.

Really? That's never happened before...

[nova9]

Really? That's never happened before...

it's not like hed likes anything about vancouver anyway so who cares?

[LeftCoaster]

I dont think anyone really does, although I am curious as to why he doesnt just leave? This city clearly is not and never will be for him.

I think everyone, especially him, would be much happier.

[twoNeurons]

I really like the basic idea and design.

Most iconic architecture has a majority that hate it.

The Eiffel Tower was hated.

[SpikePhanta]

^^

I have to agree with twoneurons.

I think some will hate it but in the future it will be loved!

[WarrenC12]

LOL at Hed the most. :haha:

Every time a new design is posted here, I can't figure out whether there are more "too boring" complaints or more "stupid design".

[LotusLand]

I really hope that those are the renders. I love it! In comparison to Bentall 6 this is way better. My only beef with this project is the size of the office component. 22 floors and another 10 and I'm happy or make the building stand out more somehow at the top.

I think if the Ritz were ever to be built that would be our architecturally significant building.

All in all I'm excited for all the new office development talk going on in the city.

[wrenegade]

Those renders are 80s-awesome. They don't seem to be Henriquez's style though. I think they're neat and wouldn't mind the project looking like that, but my guess is it won't look like that in the end.

[vanlaw]

LOL at Hed the most. :haha:

Every time a new design is posted here, I can't figure out whether there are more "too boring" complaints or more "stupid design".

:yes:

"Vancouver's skyline is boring. Let's build taller, lets build something unique, lets build something that is at least different than what we have"

"Ok, here's something different and unique"

"No, no, no, thats crap. We didnt mean "different" or "unique" in that way"

:shrug:

[PaperTiger]

I think the basic premise of this massing study shows a lot of promise. And I trust Henriquez to deliver on the details in a way that is better than most of us could imagine. Just look at what he did with the W43 tower of Woodward’s. I was expecting to like it , and then he came up with the leaf pattern in the ironwork and it went from pretty cool to amazing. I’m sure as this is refined it will get better and better.

The office bit could use another “rack” though…

[phesto]

The actual proposal (at least one concept):

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/5825/telus.jpg

[Hed Kandi]

..

[mr.x]

^ Disappointing. Looks just like more of the uninspired/unoriginal same of what we already have in this city.


I, for one, absolutely loved the concept of the first few renderings posted.

[Metro-One]

:previous: I agree 100%

I love the original google earth concept posted on here, especially the office tower portion (very unique and stunning).

This more polished render is very boring and looks like every other proposal in Vancouver...

[trofirhen]

Oh God. Why?

lol I refuse to believe that is it. It can't possibly conceivably be.....

I was thinking the same, from a few angles it looks like it is in the process of falling over. :haha:

I LOVE IT!


We finally have something RADICALLY different from the Vancouver-norm. If this really is the design, I'm almost certain that the up-to-date/higher quality renderings to be released later this week will be absolutely fabulous. It's BOLD, it has attitude and that's a variety this city severely lacks with its buildings.

If this gets shot down, it'll be yet another statement to architects that they should just stay within the Vancouver cookie-cutter/functional norm.



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It seems as if there two camps of opinion here. I would tend to place myself in the first. I think this project should be legally reviewed before the pour one ounce of concrete, let alone the first hole in the ground. So.... Fast!

[mr.x]

I really don't get you people...you've/we've all be been asking for more original and unique designs, then one comes along and it gets ripped apart in favour of something that looks just like everything we already have?:shrug:

I GIVE UP.:koko:

[Metro-One]

:previous: Again, i completely agree. In fact I love the office tower portion of the original. The stacked design gives it extra height and the exoskeleton gives it a much needed design aspect missing in Vancouver. It reminded me of some of the more interesting offices I have seen in Japan.

I fail to see anything new or bold in the updated render. Wow, they have a protruding box (never seen that before in Vancouver!) with a tree in it, stuck to the side of a larger rectangular cube, how inspiring!

In fact, the current Telus tower in Burnaby is far more interesting and inspiring than this run of the mill design.

[mr.x]

:previous: Again, i completely agree. In fact I love the office tower portion of the original. The stacked design gives it extra height and the exoskeleton gives it a much needed design aspect missing in Vancouver.

It's a testament to how narrow-minded people are (or can be), and how creativity is constantly being crushed for the safe, unoriginal, cookie-cutter, and purely functional designs.

[WarrenC12]

I really don't get you people...you've/we've all be been asking for more original and unique designs, then one comes along and it gets ripped apart in favour of something that looks just like everything we already have?:shrug:

I GIVE UP.:koko:

Ditto!

I also don't understand quoting the entire picture in the very next post. :cheers:

[officedweller]

The actual proposal (at least one concept):

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/5825/telus.jpg

I like this much better than the Google rendering.

It also better incorporates the old block on Seymour Street (but they won't be allowed to overhang Seymour St. as shown). The protruding box is getting a bit stale. They show the alley closed. Presumably there is access for the Kingston (if it's still there).

I didn't mind the block upon block theme of the Google rendering, since it referenced the "pod" that sits atop the existing building on Seymour Street.

What I didn't like about the Google rendering is the exoskeleton. It looked too frail for a building of that size - i.e. because we know that it's not holding up the building (the internal structure is doing that) - but if you are creating the illusion that it provides a useful function, then it needs to be far, far beefier than shown on that render (think of the cross-bracing on the John Hancock Tower, Chicago; and the HSBC pic posted shows a much heavier industrial form). As presented in that Google render, it looked like decoration (ditto for the cross-braces on the VanCity Centre).

[Yume-sama]

That's actually fairly nice and quite fitting~

[Stingray2004]

Second design is all right. The first thing that popped into my mind was a glorified version of 1500 West Georgia.

[Metro-One]

What is wrong with decoration elements such as the exoskeleton? That is one of the best features of the Van city building (or was, as the last time I checked the red exoskeleton bars I believe were removed)

Also, to those who are now praising this updated design, how is this bland box any better then the other bland designs that have been criticized on this forum lately? I fail to see how it is any more interesting than other office and condo proposals of late (if anything it is less interesting than the others).

For goodness sakes I coud have designed this, and i am no architect, hehe.

PS - Did anyone else notice the colour of the last render, looks a little sea foam green to me, you know a tone we have all been screaming for in the past decade............

[Yume-sama]

I don't believe that could possibly be real either. The first would never be allowed (and probably for good reason, though perhaps a real render would be far less crude and appalling), and the second... well, it is not "something we've never seen before". They have no reason to speak in marketing lingo yet, if it is indeed just like every other tower :P

[city-dweller]

Bye Bye Whitespot?

I also notice the placement of the "tree box" on the main and residential buildings looks silly. Almost like they ask for trees on the buildings after the initial rendering. The one in the residential tower is poorly placed. That location has the most expensive suites and you want to take two out to put a tree in?!! Better ways to incorporate trees into the building.
Example 1:On Beach Ave. with a cantelevered extension on the top floor.
Example 2: Over looking Howe Street on-ramp to Granville Street Bridge. (can't remember actual building name) Has a tree in the building but not at the top. I am sure you can think of a few more.

The covered plaza off the main build should have fewer poles in design. People will walk into them. Multiple solutions availabe.

I would open up the Seymour street side to a few renters just like the BreadGarden at the CBC complex. That street is a flat wall. You could have interior access too.

Anyway, just a few thoughts.

[mr.x]

What is wrong with decoration elements such as the exoskeleton? That is one of the best features of the Van city building (or was, as the last time I checked the red exoskeleton bars I believe were removed)

Also, to those who are now praising this updated design, how is this bland box any better then the other bland designs that have been criticized on this forum lately? I fail to see how it is any more interesting than other office and condo proposals of late (if anything it is less interesting than the others).

For goodness sakes I coud have designed this, and i am no architect, hehe.

PS - Did anyone else notice the colour of the last render, looks a little sea foam green to me, you know a tone we have all been screaming for in the past decade............


WE WANT ORIGINALITY! NORE MORE COOKIE CUTTERS! --> TOO MUCH ORIGINALITY AND CREATIVITY! STOP IT! IT'S TOO MUCH TO GRASP! --> OK, SCREW IT! LETS GO BACK TO OUR SAFE ZONE!



It also better incorporates the old block on Seymour Street (but they won't be allowed to overhang Seymour St. as shown).

If the goal is to incorporate each new project into its surroundings, I really don't see how we'll ever breach the non-original bubble we have going on in this city. Obviously, it creates "good neighbourhoods" but how about having some that make actual architectural statements...inward designs, instead of outwards: bold and daring.

The 43-storey residential tower could be Fairmont Pacific Rim's big brother. And the 22-storey Telus office tower could be the father of Crossroads.

[wrenegade]

The second design isn't groundbreaking by any means, and I hate the protruding box, but it is a much better design. It is much better for Telus (look at the massive floorplates on the first 6 storeys) and the interface with Georgia is fantastic. A huge setback and glass covered atrium? I like. I am also happy to see the alley disappear. There are a number of other sites across the city where I'd like to see this happen. The green glass though is.......bleh. The residential tower looks like everything else, but at least we can be happy that the office portion looks like curtain wall. It also integrates the existing Telus building (to remain?) much better than the first design. This was never going to be the tallest building so we don't have to worry about a ho-hum design in the skyline too much, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the biggest buildings (the office portion) in the city when it's finished.

[Metro-One]

I know exactly where I have seen this building before! Every office building ever built in Ottawa, but with a Vancouver protruding box + sea foam green special thrown in on the order!

[dleung]

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4420/520georgiase.jpg http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/866/520georgiane.jpg

Fooled you all... I fabricated the first scheme entirely, without knowing anything about the proposal, and only going on what's possible through the view cones. Looks like I was spot on with the locations of the office and residential towers, as well as the addition to cover up the blank Georgia side of the existing telus building. =)

I agree the office tower glazing looks very 80's and the exosleketon looks weak and tacked on (i only spent 1 hour designing/modelling the thing, lol), but I personally think the residential tower is absolutely sexy. It seems like people have really little imagination and are unable to visualize nice glazing on a crappy render of an otherwise very interesting massing. Likewise, many people are too easily fooled by shiny renders of the otherwise dull box in the "real" proposal.

Well at least my efforts have prompted someone to spill the beans, hehe.

[officedweller]

We know amateur work when we see it!!

*****************

Yeah, I think that the green glass is to blend with the existing green spandrel panels on the Seymour block.

The glass colour could change - the William Farrell Building is still there in the render and it's blue glass and the render shows blue glass at grade on Seymour.

But that said - there isn't any green glass near the Telus site. The closest is the Rosedale on Robson Hotel.

Now if they install an underground passage under Seymour Street from that glass atrium to the Vancouver Centre Food Fair, that would be great! It would eventually tie into both Canada Line and Expo Line.

[mr.x]

Fooled you all... I fabricated the first scheme entirely, without knowing anything about the proposal, and only going on what's possible through the view cones. Looks like I was spot on with the locations of the office and residential towers, as well as the addition to cover up the blank Georgia side of the existing telus building. =)

I agree the office tower glazing looks very 80's and the exosleketon looks weak and tacked on (i only spent 1 hour designing/modelling the thing, lol), but I personally think the residential tower is absolutely sexy. It seems like people have really little imagination and are unable to visualize nice glazing on a crappy render of an otherwise very interesting massing. Likewise, many people are too easily fooled by shiny renders of the otherwise dull box in the "real" proposal.

I couldn't have said it better myself.


Well done with the design, btw....too bad we'll just be adding yet another box or two to the skyline.

[Metro-One]

Dude, I would take your proposal any day over the true one. At least your design displayed experiment and originality. If you designed those in only an hour, then someone could design the true proposals in 15 minutes, haha!