Downtown Vancouver Updates

[officedweller]

Exactly!

[huenthar]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yeah, but name ANY corner where THE CITY would allow a building with
"lights, audacity, a bit of guady commercial flair...".

You'd never get that from a design by committee.
Imagine if the Province had submitted the Northern Lights display @ BC Place as a proposal to the City?

Yeah... but still, the developer could at least try to make an effort here... instead of being a meek and complicit purveyor of mediocrity...

[LotusLand]

Interesting article and post about the Wall Centre glass. The comments are intriguing as well.


http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/02/one-wall-centre-to-receive-new-glass-facade/

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by huenthar

Yeah... but still, the developer could at least try to make an effort here... instead of being a meek and complicit purveyor of mediocrity...

Think of all the money PCI must have thrown at Marine Gateway, only to end up with a conventional design after a much delayed process.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

And so it begins...

I need to correct my previous information on how they will be conducting the window replacement. There was an info session for residents last week, where the process was described in detail.

There will be 18 small cranes installed on the roof that will be supporting a huge construction platform. This platform will circulate the whole building and make it possible for them to efficiently work on one floor at a time, starting from the 48th floor and moving floor by floor downwards. They plan to use 2 weeks for the 48th floor, then 1.5 weeks for the 47th floor and then one week per floor. The schedule is weather dependent, but they plan to start the work beginning of April.

The platform will be anchored to the building through the small ventilation windows, which will be removed for the week the platform is on a specific floor's level. After work on one floor is ready, the whole platform will be lowered to the floor below during weekend.

It will be an interesting thing to observe from our apartment and despite making life a bit more difficult for a period of one week, the benefits will be huge. Now the only question is how closely the new dark glass will match the old one.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Now the only question is how closely the new dark glass will match the old one.

There are individual panes of dark glass that have been replaced previously, yes? They are noticeable based upon how they have been "tacked" in and also by a small difference in colour. However, the difference is minor and hopefully bodes well for this large-scale changeover.

[Built Form]

The original One Wall Centre design was much more spectacular but not integrated with the first phase. The tower sat on a supporting 'ring' which took the load and eliminated the need for a concrete elevator core in the 3 story lobby. Instead the core was glass and the elevators were visible and appeared to come down on cables only. The lobby hence became an unobstructed glowing jewel box and was the focal point at street level. Instead of a podium connection to phase one a cul-de-sac off Hornby existed.

Even though the tower had more prominence and visual height changes were made to provide a street wall along Hornby (somewhat pacifying Mr. Beasley who was dead set against an open air plaza) and a better connection to the other phase.

One interesting incarnation had the elliptical sides off centre resulting in a narrow wall with port holes running up both ends. And the mechanical penthouse was flat roofed and coloured with bright RED panels instead of the grey now seen.

And of coarse the whole tower was clear glass. Peter Busby was a big believer in this democratic openness which was replicated in his design for the failed entertainment/hotel/office development where the hideous Electric Avenue now stands.

[Built Form]

BTW excavation has begun on 1401 Comox.




And here's the Alexandra at Davie & Bidwell.




pix by Built Form

[jlousa]

Thanks for the pics from the West end, we don't get very many. Too be honest I think that's the first I've seen Alexandra above ground level and it looks like it's close to topped out

[officedweller]

Thanks.
The end of that podium really overpowers and dominates the heritage facade.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Lousy pic by me today:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Dumb question...I know I asked JLousa and touraccuracy when I was with them before, but cannot recall the answer. But what exactly is being built here?

I pass through it everyday but never really figured it out. I know it has some office space and of course retail, but not sure how tall it will be, nor have I seen the rendering....

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

Dumb question...I know I asked JLousa and touraccuracy when I was with them before, but cannot recall the answer. But what exactly is being built here?

I pass through it everyday but never really figured it out. I know it has some office space and of course retail, but not sure how tall it will be, nor have I seen the rendering....

See render here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=6016887&postcount=9537

2 floors retail (with Old Navy on 2nd), 3 floors office above.

[queetz@home]

^^ Thanks officedweller. I must have missed that post, it looks good.

[officedweller]

Beach Towers project approved:

Vancouver city council rezones waterfront apartment complex to add 133 rental units

By Mike Hager, Vancouver Sun
February 26, 2013 6:27 PM

Vancouver city council has approved the rezoning of a prime waterfront apartment complex that will add 133 rental units to the West End.

The decision on the infill development, which is located at 1600 Beach Ave. and 1651 Harwood St., had been delayed twice since more than 50 members of the public registered to speak about it earlier this month.

...

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Van...ezoning/7923716/story.html#ixzz2M46aU87L -
See more at: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Van.../8020099/story.html#sthash.zVnSyFLc.dpuf

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Beach Towers project approved:

Good stuff.
The more rental units the more competitive the rental prices.
Now how about another 3,000.

[SpongeG]

people are complaining that the prices are too high and that views are going to be lost

the prices stated on the news i just saw were $1100 - $2200 a month - isn't that pretty much the norm for the west end?

my friends lived way up in the west end and were paying $1100 for a one bedroom, when they moved out they put the rent up to $1200 and that was about 4 years ago

what do people expect when its market rental housing?

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

the prices stated on the news i just saw were $1100 - $2200 a month - isn't that pretty much the norm for the west end?

Still could use a LOT more stock to keep the prices low and bring the vacancy rate up.

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/schl-cmhc/NH12-89-2012-eng.pdf

[cornholio]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

people are complaining that the prices are too high and that views are going to be lost

the prices stated on the news i just saw were $1100 - $2200 a month - isn't that pretty much the norm for the west end?

my friends lived way up in the west end and were paying $1100 for a one bedroom, when they moved out they put the rent up to $1200 and that was about 4 years ago

what do people expect when its market rental housing?

To be fair when they don't use the average rental rate then that means the median rate is almost certainly high, and only a few units at most (could be as little as one unit) are going to be renting for $1100 (and they will probably be shoe box sized). Also there are additional costs which are likely going to add up, (i.e. these things are unlikely to be included in the rental rate: electricity, hot water, parking, storage, to name a few off the top of my head).

Don't get me wrong, I am not against this project...just kind of trying to point out a few "red" flags regarding the disclosed rental rates.

[wrenegade]

Critics have to remember this is brand new space a block from the beach. It isn't really fair to compare them against a West End average as most of the West End are old buildings and few buildings of any age have a location comparable to the Beach Towers.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by wrenegade

Critics have to remember this is brand new space a block from the beach. It isn't really fair to compare them against a West End average as most of the West End are old buildings and few buildings of any age have a location comparable to the Beach Towers.

What critics have to remember is that this is luxury rental accommodation for the well-heeled and has nothing to do with increasing rental affordability for middle- and low-income earners, which is not a city priority.