The Ultimate Vancouver Rumour Thread! - Page 17

SFUVancouver · #**321** Posted **Apr 19, 2008, 8:12 PM**

I'm not really sure where to post this but I snapped a photo of a model that is being built at B+B Scale Models on Granville Island. In another photo, which isn't worth posting, I counted 35 floors. The international style glazing and fenistration at first made me think that this might be an office building but the large balconies, if those are balconies, suggests otherwise. I think those might be extruded window boxes, for lack of a better term, like the ones found on the Shangri-La. Any thougths?

My photo, taken April 19th, 2008.

The top third reminds me a bit of the cladding of the BC Electric building while the mechanical penthouse looksl like it is part of the Infinity family of towers in Surrey.

worldwide · #**322** Posted **Apr 19, 2008, 8:18 PM**

yep thats the first thing i thought. that building has really grown on me.

im not sure if those would be balconies they seem to big and close together with very few units actually having a balcony. perhaps it will turn into a shangri style box with some different detailing.

jlousa · #**323** Posted **Apr 19, 2008, 8:59 PM**

the clear glass could be a concrete wall that butts up with another existing building....

SFUVancouver · #**324** Posted **Apr 19, 2008, 9:43 PM**

^ Interesting clue.

The bit of tape on the model says 'east' so that will help. If we think about the office projects that are in the works, obviously excluding the GM Place office tower and the 21 or 22 storey Bental 6, that leaves the Amacon tower, Telus parkade, Bay Parkade, and possibly Manulife for downtown Vancouver. However we need a rectangular site that has a large east elevation and a 20+ storey building that is partly built to the lot line. And of course it is possible that this isn't even intended for downtown Vancouver.

Hrm...

nathan6969 · #**325** Posted **Apr 19, 2008, 10:52 PM**

^^Well if thats the east elevation it's definitely not Amacon, given the wide site, it wouldn't make much sense for them to angle the narrow side to the water.

Mininari · #**326** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 2:04 AM**

Perhaps the model is for this relatively new rumoured Office tower?

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Just learned of another office tower in the works right in the middle of the CBD. Nothing special, around 30 storeys or 400 something feet and 400,000sf.

This one is still preliminary but we'll see where it goes.

Or maybe its Metrotower 3?

LeftCoaster · #**327** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 2:10 AM**

Haha no metrotower 3 is most certainly not prelininary... infact work is already starting.

This tower looks like it is more certainly in the CBD the way it butts up to another building there. I though I knew what tower that was until I saw it was 33 storeys... maybe were in for a pleasant surprise though...?

SFUVancouver · #**328** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 2:13 AM**

^ It is worth noting that the podium has not been added yet. The model simply ends on the wooden pallet, hence the '+' in the 35+ storeys.

Judging by the thickness of the spandrels it looks like this will be concrete construction. The photo doesn't really convey it but the building is fairly narrow, something similar to the first Infinity tower, as opposed to a more cubic shape like the early Bentalls. If I can catch a better look at it in the near future I'll take some more shots.

osirisboy · #**329** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 3:27 AM**

^^next time you're walking by it try going in and asking them what the model is of.

Hed Kandi · #**330** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 6:42 AM**

This model could be for some tower in Surrey, Burnaby, or any other proposal in the lower mainland. Who's to say that it's representative of an upcoming project for downtown Van.

phesto · #**331** Posted **Apr 20, 2008, 7:51 PM**

As was already mentioned, the model doesn't have to be in Vancouver. There are a few scale-model shops here including B+B that do models for clients in other cities (ie. in the U.S).

Also, I'm no expert on the development process, but you don't typically see developers going to the expense of building a model until there is a reason for it, such as at the development app./rezoning stage, or when you're using it for sales.

Then again, Jlousa's cryptic comment seems to suggest it is in Vancouver!

officedweller · #**332** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 2:50 AM**

My first thought was that it isn't for Vancouver.
If it butts up to another tower, that implies that the other tower was designed to be butted up to (i.e. not a all-windowed set back point tower) - there aren't many tall buildings in Vancouver of that vintage and far fewer that are 20 storeys tall (the height of the abutting area). The only one that comes to mind is the Royal Bank at Hastings and Granville, but then the "east" does not make sense.
The width of the facade shown looks to be quite wide - i.e. 1.5X the east side of Shangri-La.

djh · #**333** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

My first thought was that it isn't for Vancouver.
If it butts up to another tower, that implies that the other tower was designed to be butted up to (i.e. not a all-windowed set back point tower) - there aren't many tall buildings in Vancouver of that vintage and far fewer that are 20 storeys tall (the height of the abutting area). The only one that comes to mind is the Royal Bank at Hastings and Granville, but then the "east" does not make sense.
The width of the facade shown looks to be quite wide - i.e. 1.5X the east side of Shangri-La.

...unless it involves the bulldozing of an existing building...

jlousa · #**334** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 5:53 PM**

I don't know what tower this is for sure, I have a pretty good idea, but the east doesn't make sense, the height and the butting up to about that level do though. We'll have to wait and see a little longer.

Remember just because it appears to — up to something around the 20th level doesn't mean the other building is 20 storeys, the older building had very high floors.

officedweller · #**335** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 7:42 PM**

Regardless of what the ceiling heights were in the old building, that's still 20 floors in the new tower. Even if the new buildig is residential, that's still a substantial height for an older building (unless the ceiling heights in the new tower are from Becoming John Malkovich)

SFUVancouver · #**336** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 8:12 PM**

Something a lot less compelling occurred to me. Perhaps the model builders simply haven't added the exterior sheet of windows to that part of the building? To the left of the model one can see additional sheets of the exterior.

LeftCoaster · #**337** Posted **Apr 21, 2008, 8:23 PM**

haha that was the first thing I thought.

I thought I might have known what this building was at first, but the fact that the missing cladding is on the east, adn the size of the adjacent building rule out what I thought it was.

If it is indeed just cladding to be added later it could definetly be one of the infinity towers or plaza 88 in New west. I hope its something a little more interesting than that though.

Built Form · #**338** Posted **Apr 22, 2008, 7:57 AM**

The missing cladding on the east side will look different than the rest of the building. It is an office building of 40 floors but does not abut any other building.

LeftCoaster · #**339** Posted **Apr 22, 2008, 8:12 PM**

^?? How do you know this... and if so, why are there only 35 floors depicted on the model.

It looks straight out of infinity to me.

jlousa · #**340** Posted **Apr 22, 2008, 8:46 PM**

Have to agree with leftcoaster, if it's just missing the cladding and it's not butting up then it's not a certain tower I know of, there is no other 40 storey office tower in the works at this time for the lower mainland. It could be for another city or one of the infinity residentail towers.