VANCOUVER | Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel | 460 FT / 140 M | 44 FLOORS

[mr.x]

Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel

In the summer of 2006, Westbank commenced construction on one of the last remaining development sites in Coal Harbour to add yet another landmark building to Vancouver's waterfront. The Fairmont Pacific Rim has teamed together the luxury brand of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts with Westbank's reputation for quality design and construction. This project will consist of a world class 415-room Fairmont Hotel and 175 luxury residential homes with unparalleled views along with amenities and services that Fairmont is famous for.

This exciting new development will be Westbank's latest stamp on the Vancouver skyline. The site is on the foot of the new convention centre expansion, also expected to be completed in 2009 in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

This gives Vancouver three Fairmont hotel chains within a four block radius: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Pan Pacific, and now the Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Project Size
- 800,000 sf
- Fairmont Hotel: 415 Rooms
- Residential Live/Work: 175 Units

Architect
- James KM Cheng Architects

Completion
- 2009

Developer
- Westbank Projects Corp. & Peterson Investment Group Inc.

Marketing
- Spring 2006

Construction Commencement
- July 2006

http://www.fairmontpacificrim.com/





- Tower is stepped in at the 35th and 40th levels.
- Proposal amended on May 22, 2003 (Project 1134) to include live/work residential, office and hotel usage.
- Proposal of October 1, 2003 reduces hotel rooms from 800 to 500 (to level 24), with a live/work element above and a change to the tower form.
- September 2005: Property purchased from Fairmont Hotels for $68 million, and original design by VIA Architecture scrapped.
- October 26, 2005: Urban Design Panel first review of new proposal.
- November 2005: The Fairmont Pacific Rim will be a five-star, 415-room Fairmont hotel and 173-unit luxury condominium development.
- Start of construction for Vancouver's largest building, by square footage, is planned for July 2006.
- Final plans are first 25 floors as 415 hotel units with top 19 floors as 195 live/work condominiums.
- Originally proposed with maximum height of 472 feet and re-submitted at 463.72 feet, the city only approved to 458.25 feet, including all building appurtenances.
- Greatest opposition to application came from tenants of Terminal City Club Tower and Shaw Tower.
- Floor space for hotel and general office/live-work is evenly split at 397,600 and 397,919 square feet.
- Open balconies account for 37,252 square feet of total floor space in the tower.
- Condominium buyers paid $2,100 per square foot for what the realtor called "the front row seats" for the "water-facing units".

[mr.x]

November 2006




January 2007




March 2007





May 2007





June 2007






July 30, 2007

[raggedy13]

A few not so great construction pics from yesterday. Good news is it has effectively reached grade.

[vanman]

I really hope the facade of this building is not exactly the same as the Shaw Tower. I'm afraid they will just blend in with each other as well as HG2 and further the perception that all Vancouver buildings look the same.

[Canadian Mind]

I was under the impression the facade was going to be dark, based on the models and renderings.

I really hope it is, would be nice to see another large & dark structure in addition to the TD building and Bentall.

[nathan6969]

All I can say is, its about time this thing started to rise above ground...love the dark look of the rendering, but what are the odds its gonna come out like that, how many times have we been fooled before...

[jlousa]

Don't expect it to be dark like TD tower, it will be much closer to Shaw then TD tower, I think it's a much better looking tower then Shaw though and it will look fitting, especially with the podium based swimming pool facing the harbour. Won't be visible from ground level, but from an aerial it will look fantastic. Apparently there will be an art piece that seperates the hotel floors and the residential floors. Some text stating along the lines (As I lay on my back atop this building the clouds look no different as when I lay on the street) Can't remember the artist in charge of it.

[excel]

Its nice that we will have a bunch of towers to watch after shangri-la tops out. This one will definitely make an impact when viewing from the north.

[SFUVancouver]

I think the Fairmont Pacific Rim will actually make the Shaw tower look better since the podium on the former will make the office tower base of the latter look a little less lonely.

I'm not too keen on the horizontal coloured strips, though, and I don't think they will age well. I feel the same way about the coloured bits on TV Towers.

[Delirium]

I think those coloured panels on the side of the building are just a depiction of the proposed public art component of the project.

excerpt from development permit board meeting:

"Mr. Cheng described opportunities for animation such as the possibility of having cantilevered doors on the lounge so that they could be opened up during the summer and the lounge activity could spill out. The restaurant will be open 24 hours and the ballroom waiting areas will be located in the foyer so that people can look up from the street and see the activity.

Mr. Cheng confirmed that the electronic information board will be related to art and there is no intention of using it for advertising. The two facades of the hotel have been designated as a public art zone and the applicant team is working with the Public Art Committee to find an artist that works with light and colour to provide something there. The hope is to create a major public art statement that will be seen as people travel down Burrard Street to the Convention Centre."

sounds interesting. not sure about the tower itself but i'm in the wait and see category there. i do think the pool area is awesome though! imagine sitting in the hot tub in january looking over palm trees and snow capped mountains..

[excel]

^That pool area is nuts.

[Hed Kandi]

The worst thing about the Shaw Tower is there is no retail, thus why Coal Harbour is so dead at night.

I'm guessing that the same goes for the Fairmont.

[TwoFace]

[quote=Hed Kandi;3083952]The worst thing about the Shaw Tower is there is no retail, thus why Coal Harbour is so dead at night.
quote]

We like it "dead", it's a quit residential neighborhood. Hopefully the new Urban Fair being open till midnight wont bring any new and unwanted late night noise.

[SFUVancouver]

I lived in Coal Harbour for seven years, during the serious building years of 1997 - 2005, and TwoFace I've got to disagree with you. I hated how dead it was, especially at night. I think if you were to hypothetically take away the Seawall that Coal Harbour could be considered a failed space. Now of course the Seawall and Harbour Green Park are there and they're spectacular. Harbour Green Park is pretty much my favourite park in the city. I wish Urban Fare and the forthcoming drug store in the Ritz had been open while I lived in the area. Now add the downtown streetcar to Stanley Park and the elementary school at Coal Harbour Community Centre and you've got yourself a stellar downtown neighbourhood. It's on its way and it gets better year by year but it's got to have people out and about at all hours to give it some soul.

[officedweller]

It occurred to me that the pool area may be at a lower elevation than the Convention Centre Expansion - hence little if any water view.

[hollywoodnorth]

[QUOTE=TwoFace;3093748]

Originally Posted by Hed Kandi

The worst thing about the Shaw Tower is there is no retail, thus why Coal Harbour is so dead at night.
quote]

We like it "dead", it's a quit residential neighborhood. Hopefully the new Urban Fair being open till midnight wont bring any new and unwanted late night noise.

hahahahahaha oh my GOD.........NIMBY much?

the Bute Street plan........must bring you to tears........the thought of it becoming a High Street with all that !GASP!......PREDESTRIAN activity and cafes, etc........

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

I hated how dead it was, especially at night. I think if you were to hypothetically take away the Seawall that Coal Harbour could be considered a failed space.

Couldn't disagree more, Coal Harbour "demographics" are different from say, "Yaletown" where a 24 hour night scene is welcome by the people that live there, but here we are quit content with our day time amenities and natural beauty with night time peace and quiet.
Not every Neighborhood has to cater to the "party crowd".
Although with a large influx of families in the area which is evident with the strong use of the community play ground, a school may be welcome in the near future.

P.S your only several block from Robson and a $5 cab ride to the Granville Zoo.

[Delirium]

IMO, there is no "quiet" when you live downtown. if you want peace and quiet, go move to deep cove but don't try to domesticate my downtown with this "lights out" talk.

i'm all for more activity at all hours - day and night. i lived in coal harbour for 2 years and left because it was like living in a retirement community.
yaletown is marginally better.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by Delirium

IMO, there is no "quiet" when you live downtown. if you want peace and quiet, go move to deep cove but don't try to domesticate my downtown with this "lights out" talk.

i'm all for more activity at all hours - day and night. i lived in coal harbour for 2 years and left because it was like living in a retirement community.
yaletown is marginally better.

It seems the concept of "community urban planning" is lost on you.
Party on dude ...

[jlousa]

Have to agree with twoface the premium on Coal harbour over say Yaletown is due to the quietness/isolation. There is a market for both, and no need to change Coal harbour to make it fit in with someone preception of what D/T living should be. This isn't Nimbyism, as they aren't against developments, they have just chosen to avoid the hustle and bustle of the night life. As you get older you appreciate quiet/alone time as you have enough stress in your life. Should these people be forced to live in the suburbs to enjoy it? I don't think anyone is complaining about the supermarket. a few cafes or a drugstore. Like Twoface said there is Robson a short walk away, Nothing wrong with having a central strip where everyone can gather, infact I think that is prefered then having everyone stuck only in their community as they never have to leave. I know people who never ever leave the confines of the Westend as they see no need to, that isn't healthy.

Anyways, back onto the Fairmont, ground floor is almost completed, they are still ahead of schedule. Yes the pool will not be higher then the convention centre in the current plans...