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Posted May 9, 2025, 1:56 AM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 14,644
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Holborn's site
https://holborn.ca/portfolio/501-595...ia-388-abbott/
The press release
Quote:
BC GLASS SEA SPONGE INSPIRES TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT FORDOWNTOWN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Proposed project set to deliver housing, hotel, Indigenous led art & community space
VANCOUVER, BC — May 8, 2025 — A transformative mixed-use development that merges architectural
innovation, social responsibility and urban revitalization has been submitted to the City of Vancouver by
Henriquez Partners Architects (Henriquez) on behalf of the Holborn Group.
At its core, the project is about ambitious city-building — unlocking public benefits on currently
underutilized land in a way that supports some of the city’s most urgent needs — while contributing
bold architecture to the city skyline, including what would be British Columbia’s tallest tower.
NATURE INSPIRES ARCHITECTURE: Four towers, designed by Henriquez, draw inspiration from rare and
ancient glass sea sponge reefs, whose ecological strength and resilience have shaped both form and
structure. These living marine organisms — unique to the Pacific Northwest — serve as a metaphor for
regeneration and adaptation.
This concept is translated through the architectural language of the towers: silhouettes, sculptural
forms, and sustainable performance. The tallest tower — a stand-alone hotel — proposed at 1,033 feet
(315 metres), is shaped by an iconic structural diagrid exoskeleton that allows for column-free interiors
while maximizing strength and minimizing material use. Developed in collaboration with international
engineering leader Arup, the structural system references the skeletal lattice of sea sponges — a
concept researched at Harvard for its groundbreaking structural efficiency.
FORM & FUNCTION: Each tower responds differently to the metaphor: the hotel features a steel-andconcrete structure wrapped in a diagrid exoskeleton; the residential towers include sculptural balconies
and screens that echo the texture and intricacy of the sponge’s filigree form, creating dynamic,
functional facades. The podium and interior design are equally expressive — envisioned as carved, corallike forms with weathered stone finishes, inspired by BC’s underwater reef landscapes and contextual
scale of neighbouring buildings such as the terracotta of the Randall Building and stone of Christ Church
Cathedral.
The project spans three sites at 501 + 595 West Georgia and 388 Abbott Street, bridging Vancouver’s
business district and the Downtown Eastside. In total, four towers are proposed: three ranging from 783
to 1,033 feet (239 to 315 metres) on West Georgia Street, and a fourth tower at 402 feet (122 metres)
on Abbott Street. This fourth tower — fully gifted to the City of Vancouver — will contain 378 social
housing units, including three artist-in-residence studios, a childcare centre, and a public Indigenous Art
Gallery.
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In total, the development will create 1,939 new homes, a 920-room hotel, 70,130 square feet of muchneeded conference space, Indigenous-led reconciliation through art, and introduce significant public
amenities across both sites. This project will serve as a major economic catalyst for downtown
Vancouver, creating thousands of construction and permanent jobs.
“We are incredibly proud to bring forward this generational project — one rooted in community need,
extraordinary architectural innovation and reconciliation,” said Joo Kim Tiah, President, Holborn Group.
“This project is designed not only to meet today’s challenges, but to inspire future generations.”
PUBLIC SPACE & RECONCILIATION THROUGH DESIGN: The project redefines public benefit in highdensity urban development. At the top of the hotel tower — space typically reserved for private use — a
publicly accessible observation deck designed by PFS Studio — envisioned as a “forest in the sky” —
offers panoramic views of the city, mountains, and ocean. At grade, a 17,000 square foot public plaza
connects West Georgia Street with retail and restaurant pavilions, programmed cultural space, and
Indigenous art.
Musqueam artist Susan Point has been invited to transform the public plaza, interfacing the Randall
Building, into a site of storytelling through contemporary Indigenous expression. At Abbott, there is a
5,150-square-foot Indigenous art gallery and community space, along with three artist-in-residence
suites for the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh (MST), guided by consultant Gordon Grant.
“The project will showcase a genuine and informative act of Truth and Reconciliation,” said Gordon
Grant, Cultural Consultant. “It will provide a platform for Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh
artists to display a small piece of rich and powerful cultures that all of the Nations can be proud of.”
PROJECT BENEFITS
Architectural & Design Innovation
• Inspired by BC’s glass sea sponge reefs, blending sustainability, structure and poetics.
• Hotel tower features a structural diagrid exoskeleton for open interiors and high performance
• Residential towers incorporate sculptural balconies with decorative steel screens evoking
marine forms
• Podium and interior spaces sculpted to resemble coral caves, with materials referencing
Vancouver’s architectural heritage
• Collaboration with Arup for cutting-edge, low-carbon structural design
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Contribution to Vancouver’s Housing Needs
• 1,939 new homes including:
o 1,288 market condominiums
o 273 market rental homes, including family-sized units
o 378 social housing units — Vancouver’s largest single contribution of stand-alone social
housing
A Building Gifted for Community Benefit
• Entire Abbott Street tower donated to the City of Vancouver, including:
o 378 social housing units, including three artist-in-residence suites for Musqueam,
Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh (MST)
o 37-space childcare facility
o 5,150 square foot Indigenous art gallery
Hospitality and Tourism Driver
• 920 hotel rooms (640 short stay, 240 long stay)
• 70,130 square feet of conference and ballroom space over three levels
• Public rooftop observation deck with restaurant and lounge
• Thousands of long-term jobs for Vancouver’s hospitality and service economy
Economic Stimulus & Downtown Revitalization
• Over 3 million square feet of mixed-use space
• 64,000+ square feet of retail, activated plazas, and pedestrian pathways
• Direct SkyTrain connection, improved transit access
• Replaces surface parking with vibrant, safe, and connected public realm
• Thousands of construction and permanent jobs
Indigenous Art and Cultural Reconciliation
• Guided by cultural consultant Gordon Grant and supported by MST
• Public art program centred on storytelling, memory, and reconciliation
• Musqueam artist Susan Point invited to use public plaza for Indigenous storytelling
• 5,150 square foot MST Gallery + community space, and three artist accommodations
Sustainable Urbanism
• Targeting net-zero operational carbon
• Targeting 50% embodied carbon reduction – below City of Vancouver standards
• Prefabricated systems and sculptural forms reduce material waste
• Public realm landscape architecture by PFS Studio enhances biodiversity and experience
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