The Georgia | 157m | 48 fl | Completed - Page 82

Locked In · #**1621** Posted **May 23, 2011, 12:46 AM**

My photo, today:

officedweller · #**1622** Posted **May 23, 2011, 3:35 AM**

Great shots, thanks.

I drove past the other night and noticed a very, very sparkley crystal chandelier in the condo tower lobby - you can see it a bit in one of your shots.

vanlaw · #**1623** Posted **May 27, 2011, 7:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Great shots, thanks.

I drove past the other night and noticed a very, very sparkley crystal chandelier in the condo tower lobby - you can see it a bit in one of your shots.

The chandelier is imo fairly hideous. Really. It is super sparkly and looks like it has a few strings of flashing xmas lights inside of it. Just doesn’t work.

Apparently hotel has soft opening last week of June with official opening first week of July. Had lunch at Hawksworth this week – very good.

Unrelated, but same area, Four Season is putting up Canucks gear below their sign at the moment. They installed a bracket, and so far form right to left there is small flag, D. Sedin Jersey, Big flag. Half done. I assume other side with be H. Sedin jersey and another small flag. Looks good.

officedweller · #**1624** Posted **May 28, 2011, 3:28 AM**

From the Journal of Commerce:

Quote:

May 27, 2011

BLOG: THE HOTEL GEORGIA RESTORATION

Speakers Malcolm Elliot and Mark Lawton detailed how they took a Vancouver landmark into the 21st century with their session at the Festival of Architecture in Vancouver, "The Hotel Georgia Restoration."

The Hotel Georgia, built in 1926, and was at the time a state of the art building as well as a local hot spot for celebrities and politicians.

When it came time to redevelop the property, it was decided to add a condominium tower, as well as upgrade the existing hotel. The condo tower was added by demolishing a neighbouring parkade.

The total area of the project is 540,000 square foot, and the hotel has been upgraded to a five star destination, with 156 hotel suites and 156 strata residential suites. A 78,000 square foot office is also being built.

One issue was to ensure vehicle access to the site, so a Porte Cochere entry was designed. The pool is actually above the Porte Cochere with translucent panels at the bottom of the pool creating visuals on the roof of the Porte Cochere.

The roof, which initially wouldn’t support any loads, will now sport large decks. One question the architects had was how to introduce new elements. To do so, they set the new features off from old, so as to not take away or poorly imitate what had come before.

The fourth floor deck was designed to make the back side of the hotel just as interesting as the street facing side, through a full bar and exterior reflecting pool, as well as an island seating area and a fire pit.

The linchpin of the project was the ballroom, the Hotel Georgia’s most famous feature. The original 1926 ballroom was demolished, and then completely restored to its original appearance.

Much feedback was about the basement bar, with distinctive arched ceilings and a wood floor. The area has been restored with contemporary features mixed in.

Sustainability features include green walls, a 200 ton geothermal field, photovoltaic panels and a green roof. Saving the building is in itself a form of recycling, Elliot said.

The hotel was seismically upgraded but in a way that minimized effect on the heritage character of the hotel. The space was also given a full code upgrade.

One surprise was envelope issues. It was discovered that when the project was built someone had not put reinforcing into any other columns or slabs. The hotel had never actually been to code up until now. All deficient slabs and columns were reinforced with carbon fiber.

JOC DIGITAL MEDIA

http://www.joconl.com/article/id44568/

dreambrother808 · #**1625** Posted **May 28, 2011, 4:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vanlaw

The chandelier is imo fairly hideous. Really. It is super sparkly and looks like it has a few strings of flashing xmas lights inside of it. Just doesn’t work.

Agreed. It's reminiscent of cheap 80s flash and therefore quite out of place.

NetMapel · #**1626** Posted **May 30, 2011, 3:03 AM**

Photo taken by me

Canadian Mind · #**1627** Posted **May 30, 2011, 3:35 AM**

This building looks better on grey days than sunny days, awesome!

Yume-sama · #**1628** Posted **May 30, 2011, 3:55 AM**

Most Vancouver buildings actually seem to thrive on cloudy days. I don't think it's coincidence

SpongeG · #**1629** Posted **May 30, 2011, 3:57 AM**

thats why i don;t get why people whine about the glass

dubsH · #**1630** Posted **May 30, 2011, 6:53 AM**

I remember when everyone was indifferent about the renderings of this beauty back in the day - how times change! This one turned out superb - although I'm interested to see how the balconies turn out. Great photo updates too.

jlousa · #**1631** Posted **Jun 4, 2011, 6:32 AM**

A shot from the distance.

trofirhen · #**1632** Posted **Jun 4, 2011, 7:15 PM**

Thanks, jlousa, for a moody, dramatic shot.
One thing I'd like to mention, though, is the number of small, bitty, buildings that take away from what could be a sleek and (maybe) soaring downtown, or at least such on on Georgia Street.

I refer specifically to the box-shaped building, immediately behind the Post Office in the picture. It was built around 1970ish, it seems, as were a number of others at that time, not only on Georgia.

I know this one, as an example, is too relatively new, profitable and modern to rip down for a large project if it ever comes along, but it is often these little "boxy" buildings that really detract from downtown.

My opinion, anyway, although of course there are economic reasons for their existence, yes.

Sprawl · #**1633** Posted **Jun 5, 2011, 4:35 AM**

Cities contain a range of buildings of different sizes and styles from different ages...
What exactly do you want? Some kind of Corbusian uniformity?

trofirhen · #**1634** Posted **Jun 5, 2011, 11:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sprawl

Cities contain a range of buildings of different sizes and styles from different ages...
What exactly do you want? Some kind of Corbusian uniformity?

Not at all. I just don't like sight lines broken up by totally incongruous pieces, that's all. (On a street less important than Georgia, it really would not matter)

Delirium · #**1635** Posted **Jun 6, 2011, 3:23 PM**

this was mentioned before but here are some details on the office portion of the project;

Vancouver office deal biggest for single user
STEVE LADURANTAYE
Globe and Mail Update
Published Monday, Jun. 06, 2011

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia has bought seven floors of space in a new Vancouver office tower in what is believed to be the largest office sale to a single user in the city’s history.

The group bought the space in the Offices at Hotel Georgia, part of a $450-million redevelopment of the 84-year-old Hotel Georgia that includes another two floors of as-yet unsold office space as well as 156 condo units.

Prices were not released.

Delta Land Development Ltd. is building the project, and Avison Young brokered the deal. The College plans to move its 90 employees into the space by the end of the year.

“It has always been the vision of the board to own rather than lease office space,” the College said in a statement. “The finance and audit committee considered 24 buildings in Vancouver and Burnaby before making its final decision.”

The strata space – where ownership is comparable to a condo – was bought to avoid future rent increases in a pricey market. It also means the organization won’t have to pay HST on leasing costs.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...-biggest-for-single-user/article2048668/