CF Pacific Centre Developments

[officedweller]

They may be remaining - plans show stairs in the 4th bay from the rotunda:


http://www.725granville.com

And they shift inwards once you get to the 1980 addition:


http://www.725granville.com

And they'll be covered in glass at grade (?):


http://www.725granville.com

[Jebby]

Will the atrium have a glass roof or be exposed to the elements?

[officedweller]

Don't know - can't tell from the renders or web plans.

[spm2013]

....

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I don't think those stairs will remain. Obviously stairs will need to be a part of the redevelopment but they will likely get pulled into the building to keep the windows open for offices, as that is the preference of the users.

doesn't the fire code require that stairwells be refuge areas?
I doubt having one side of the stairwell being made of outside glass would comply with current fire codes.

[jlousa]

I can't speak from an code standpoint but I know there are recent builds that have emergency staircases with a glass wall. I work in one such building and live next to another.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by spm2013

Well it just says "open to below" on the floorplan for the roof:

http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/committees/DE-416152-725-granville.pdf

Interesting IM Pei and Ponte's original proposal for the Eatons had a hotel and swimming pool on the roof...

The Nordstrom's Restaurant is on the third floor..

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/nordstrom-restaurants

Checked back in the thread at Built Form's pics of the model - they look to be open air atriums.

He also has a floorplan for the 3rd floor (note the separate elevator for the restaurant from the entrance vestibule and P1 for after-store hours access).

WRT the emergency stairs - The floorplans also say "stairs to remain".

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=5911367&postcount=656

[officedweller]

Pic by me today.
Wonder when the sign will come down?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[officedweller]

So even the newly annouced Yorkdale store will look nicer than ours:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=211996&p=irol-mediakitCanada&redirectmobile=false?

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/21/211996/Yorkdale%20Rendering.jpg

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

So even the newly annouced Yorkdale store will look nicer than ours:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=211996&p=irol-mediakitCanada&redirectmobile=false?

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/21/211996/Yorkdale%20Rendering.jpg

In a way, yes, with the bright, white exterior and some outside windows. Otherwise, it looks like a "suburban" store, somehow. The Vancouver store may need a bit of lighting up, as Metro has suggested in the past, but the Vancouver store feels more "downtown" than Yorkdale. I really question how much better their store is, all in all. ... then again, the TO store interiors do get more direct sunlight .....

[officedweller]

Ours seems to be an "old style" Nordstrom...

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by officedweller

So even the newly annouced Yorkdale store will look nicer than ours:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=211996&p=irol-mediakitCanada&redirectmobile=false?

http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/21/211996/Yorkdale%20Rendering.jpg

Originally Posted by trofirhen

In a way, yes, with the bright, white exterior and some outside windows. Otherwise, it looks like a "suburban" store, somehow. The Vancouver store may need a bit of lighting up, as Metro has suggested in the past, but the Vancouver store feels more "downtown" than Yorkdale. I really question how much better their store is, all in all. ... then again, the TO store interiors do get more direct sunlight .....

You can be a lot more creative and flexible with a new build vs what they're doing at the Pacific Centre location.

Ron.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

You can be a lot more creative and flexible with a new build vs what they're doing at the Pacific Centre location.

Ron.

That's exactly it.

[officedweller]

I view them both as boxes with cladding and with eth extensive renos in Vnacouver, it's practically a new build from an exterior cladding perspective.

In Vancouver, however, the exterior is in part driven by the multiple uses (department store entrance, mall entrance, office above) , leading to a somewhat disjointed appearance (but which is "acceptable", because it is completely the opposite to what was there before); at Yorkdale there is just one use (and less people to please), so it can be more single-minded in design.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

As well the upper floors will be high quality curtain wall glass.

The sleekness of which will be undercut by the choice to add those vertical fin things. As the render below demonstrates, these fins obliterate sightlines (and reflections) from an angle, turning something smooth into something rough, and something transparent into something opaque, destroying the benefit (and the beauty) of curtain wall glass:

Originally Posted by officedweller

http://changingcitybook.com/2012/09/17/nordstrom-granville-street/

[officedweller]

I don't really doubt that the finishes will be high quality - I just wonder if, in swinging the pendulum away from the modernist "toilet", we'll end up with building that is jumbled and not particularly distinctive.

[LeftCoaster]

it's not my favourite design, that I will admit, I'm just confirming the quality of the building materials used will be high.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I view them both as boxes with cladding and with eth extensive renos in Vnacouver, it's practically a new build from an exterior cladding perspective.

In Vancouver, however, the exterior is in part driven by the multiple uses (department store entrance, mall entrance, office above) , leading to a somewhat disjointed appearance (but which is "acceptable", because it is completely the opposite to what was there before); at Yorkdale there is just one use (and less people to please), so it can be more single-minded in design.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

The lower portion of Pacfic Centre (Nordstrom) will use very high end materials and represent a flag ship store. The renderings you have seen so far are from Cadillac Farivew and don't represent the exact details of Nordstroms storefront, which will be their design.

As well the upper floors will be high quality curtain wall glass. This is an expensive building from a finishes standpoint and should look it upon completion.

whichever way you cut it, all three / pacific centre / yordale / sherway look good. And yes it's easier to create the really pretty one if you're starting from scratch. Vancouver isn't and I think what we'll have will be sufficiently pleasing. Besides, our Nordström is the flagship store. And it's the biggest. And right downtown (unlike the others) Voilà.

[officedweller]

Pic by me today:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[trofirhen]

Imagine if one day, the Toronto Eaton Centre were renamed "The Toronto Nordstrom Centre"