Future Georgia & Burrard Fantasy Thread

[trofirhen]

As GlassCity concurred in the MNP thread, the future building on the SW corner of Georgia and Burrard would have to be "the greatest in the city."
As Georgia takes on its role as the first (or second) ceremonial street downtown, with buldings like the Trump Tower going up, so is Burrard, largely complete to the waterfront, and where notably striking buildings are to be found; Park Place, Bentall 5, Hastings St. and the elegant group of buildings at the MNP-Marine Building end, at Burrard and Hastings.
Burrard and Georgia southwest corner is the most obvious place for placing the city's greatest building..... (take a bow, Glass!).... and if this, (unlike other threads started), develops into a real discusssion with eventual renders of concepts and ideas, this might make a more interesting thread than we think. Time marches on, and the Georgia-Burrard site may come onstream in fewer years than we think. I hope so, anyway.

[spm2013]

Any clue who the owner of that building is?

[GlassCity]

This is the best I can do in terms of a bow!

If it does happen, I don't think it will happen for a long, long time as the building on the southwest is pretty new. I'm thinking the northwest corner might be where it happens, since it's just a mid-rise right now.

But definitely. With Burrard and Georgia being the epicentre of downtown, it needs the skyscraper to symbolize that.

[Bcasey25raptor]

I was trying to be creative. But something like this would look awesome.


Original image source
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...verskyline.jpg

[phesto]

Originally Posted by spm2013

Any clue who the owner of that building is?

Caleb Chan.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

This is the best I can do in terms of a bow!

If it does happen, I don't think it will happen for a long, long time as the building on the southwest is pretty new. I'm thinking the northwest corner might be where it happens, since it's just a mid-rise right now.

But definitely. With Burrard and Georgia being the epicentre of downtown, it needs the skyscraper to symbolize that.

I think you're right, both timespan-wise and aesthetic-wise. The exterior refit of the building is fairly recent. It's reflective, and well proportioned, for the time being.
Funny thing is, it was once considered a major downtown highrise when cempleted in 1958(?)
A MASS of beige spandrel for decades.
The refit will do for a couple of decades more, but it comes, eventually. Just a hope that people might share stuff. Anything, any comment is welcome and encouraged.
So hurry hurry hurry get yer free popcorn............

[logan5]

The West End OCP says up to 700 feet for this site, subject to view cone restrictions, so are there view cone restrictions for this site?

Also, is this site restricted to office only?

[spm2013]

Originally Posted by logan5

The West End OCP says up to 700 feet for this site, subject to view cone restrictions, so are there view cone restrictions for this site?

Also, is this site restricted to office only?

There's a map showing the areas downtown with no view corridors (or the QE Park 3 corridor only).

http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/guidelines/H005.pdf

[trofirhen]

Where the Burrard building lot now is, there is a height-restricted portion (still quite high, I think) and an unrestricted viewcone-free area. It divides the parcel roughly in half dividing on a diagonal NW-SE line, the unrestricted portion on the east half of the parcel with a maximum height at 700 feet on Gergia, and 550 feet on the Alberni side. If it all chimes together it has the potential of being a superb building or even building complex.

[officedweller]

Apart from some high end retail being located there, I would expect the short commercial retail building at Burrard and Alberni - with the Shabusen - together with the adjacent building with the Michael's (those are rental apartments above, not condos, right?) would come down before the Burrard Building. The Higher Buildings map shows 550 ft is now allowed at that site. Also, at that location, I would hope the podium would have a multi-level luxury retail atrium.

[LeftCoaster]

^ That site, along with the Georgia and Burrard corner are certainly two of the premier address in the city which may be developed in the future, however this thread probably belongs in the urban discussions subforum, not here.

That said I'd love to see a mass revision of the entire west georgia block between thurlow and burrard, but I think the grosvenor building and the building that I still picture with a Comor in the base are coming down any time soon, however underbuilt they may appear.

[Prometheus]

Also, the Burrard Building is still offering 10-year leases, reportedly.

The building is still popular with tenants, and vacant suites are generally leased quickly. Although the site is one of very few Downtown that has no viewcones crossing it – and hence no height limit for a replacement building – leases on the few suites on offer today are for up to 10 years, suggesting the owners are in no hurry to cash in on its redevelopment potential.

http://changingvancouver.wordpress.c...rard-building/

I think the south side of Alberni is a much more likely candidate for near/medium-term redevelopment.

[trofirhen]

The MidTown Tower in Roppongi has design elements that might be adapted to The Great Skyscaper. Yes, I know it's decades off, but still ....


http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared/...Town_Tower.jpg

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Bcasey25raptor

I was trying to be creative. But something like this would look awesome.


Original image source
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...verskyline.jpg

A walkie-talkie?

[trofirhen]

This is the site that I believe Klazu and LowerLonsdaleMike were referring to.
Imagine if the rumor of the HSBC coming to Vancouver came true !!! It won't. It'll go to Toronto if anywhere .....
Nevertheless this has to be the tallest, most striking, most elegant, most upscale building in the city, when it gets built .......

[jlousa]

*l* okay. I won't hold my breath. And HSBC already has their Canadian hq here, there is no way they would ever move their global hq here.

[LeftCoaster]

It's not going to Toronto if anywhere, it's going to Hong Kong if anywhere. My guess is it stays.

Hopefully this shakeup does put some more seats in Van though.

[Vanelevatorman]

I'd love to see a stark, massive, SUPER TALL all black glass tower here, with a modernist twist to it, not like Trump but a twist on the norm...

I really want more straight-black towers in Vancouver. I think the all black makes the tower look even taller!

[trofirhen]

Hey, yeah! Tall, intriguing, all black glass, like obsidian, entranceways and trimmings (tough few) done in a dark red And at the very top of it, two huge styled, red marble fangs.
(I got thinkng pf the Columbia Center in Seattle, and whereas many really like it, I find it oppressiive, almost gloomy and menacing. Sorry)

[Vanelevatorman]

I'd also be happy with a rehash of one wall center, only taller, with the original dark glass here.