320 Granville St |115m | 32Fl | Completed

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The waterfront transportation hub is the very nexus of Metro Vancouver's transit network. It is the primary portal through which hundreds of thousands of people flow in and out of Vancouver's downtown core and central business district each day. How could any sane city council envision the future waterfront hub as anything less than the granddaddy of all transportation oriented developments, a soaring citadel of business, entertainment and hospitality?

A site this important to the city's future economic competitiveness cannot be squandered on the artificially circumscribed plans the current city council has in mind. A bold and ambitious vision is required.

Total agreement. This city council (it seems, from a distance) wants to turn Vancouver into Pleasantville Green - - - which is fine, as long as the essential infrastructure isn't sacrificed in the process. But Vancouver city seems to be into "cutesy" sort of stuff, and SEEMS (IMO) to have lost "the big picture" and the ability to project 20 or 30 years (or even less) down the road.

Look at Toronto and Montreal, and what they have.
Think of SF and the Transbay Center coming down the pipe .....
http://transbaycenter.org/

Perhaps Vancouver will only think big when it reaches a larger size (4 million plus?) or when the transportation system is choked to the hilt and becomes less than efficacious.

[jlousa]

Pretty sure everyone is aware that I'm not the biggest fan of the current council, but to blame them for some people's perceived shortcomings of the waterfront hub proposal is laughable. I think people just dream too big. We are the third largest city in a country of ~35M. We're punching well above our weight and will continue to grow but we need to be realistic about things. There is no build it and they will come. The people with the money will only build if the numbers add up.(even when people build on spec it's because they know there is pent up demand) We are in the midst of one of the largest office tower booms in civic history and it will take time for that inventory to settle and get consumed before we see the numbers make sense to build another tower.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Pinion

Harbour Centre would be useless if taller buildings were built there. But who cares, just cover it up like that coal harbour hotel.

It will likely always have a view to the east.
Observation decks come and go - this one is just unique because it has been designed as such.
Imagine if it were converted to office space! (minus revolving floor (or maybe with revolving floor)).

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by jlousa

The people with the money will only build if the numbers add up. (Even when people build on spec it's because they know there is pent up demand.) We are in the midst of one of the largest office tower booms in civic history and it will take time for that inventory to settle and get consumed before we see the numbers make sense to build another tower.

Obviously.

The city is being blamed only for arbitrarily constraining the size and height of the future waterfront hub even though it may make economic sense to build something much larger and taller when the demand eventually materializes. This site lies at the very nexus of Metro Vancouver's ever-growing transit network and is strategically located within the city's central business district. It is more than likely that the future economy will not only justify but require a project larger and taller than the modest buildings envisioned in the city's 2009 plan.

[rsxstock]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Waterfront station is the very nexus of Metro Vancouver's transit network. It is the portal through which hundreds of thousands of people flow in and out of Vancouver's downtown core and central business district each day. In logic, the future hub should be the mother of all transit oriented developments--a soaring centre of business, entertainment and hospitality. It is vital to Vancouver's future economic competitiveness that development of this hub be as ambitious as economics and engineering allow.

A good city council should be encouraging the boldest of plans for a site of such economic importance, not setting arbitrary limits on its growth.

I agree, it would give international visitors to the convention center increased accessibility and a good impression of our growing city... and then hopefully lead to even world-class events being hosted here which further brings revenue and recognition of the city to the world... a nice economic cycle

[officedweller]

From the VIA Archecture website (dated Aug 2012).
The prow seems to be an over-used feature these days.


http://www.via-architecture.com/project/320-granville/

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by jlousa

Pretty sure everyone is aware that I'm not the biggest fan of the current council, but to blame them for some people's perceived shortcomings of the waterfront hub proposal is laughable. I think people just dream too big. We are the third largest city in a country of ~35M. We're punching well above our weight and will continue to grow but we need to be realistic about things. There is no build it and they will come. The people with the money will only build if the numbers add up.(even when people build on spec it's because they know there is pent up demand) We are in the midst of one of the largest office tower booms in civic history and it will take time for that inventory to settle and get consumed before we see the numbers make sense to build another tower.

Well said. Unfortunately it seems that some refuse to accept reality and prefer to think that the only thing standing between us and a phantasmagoria of architectural wonderment is the 11 people sitting at 12th and Cambie.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Well said. Unfortunately it seems that some refuse to accept reality and prefer to think that the only thing standing between us and a phantasmagoria of architectural wonderment is the 11 people sitting at 12th and Cambie.

You are as confused as jlousa is on this particular issue.

No one is claiming that if the city got out of the way of the development of the future waterfront hub, a "phantasmagoria of architectural wonderment" would appear. The economy might not support that.

The city is being criticized only for arbitrarily constraining the size and height of the future waterfront hub even though it may make economic sense for private investors (and the people of Vancouver) to build something larger and taller when the time comes.

This site lies at the very nexus of Metro Vancouver's ever-growing transit network and is strategically located within the city's central business district. It's very likely that the future economy will justify--if not require--a project larger and taller than the modest buildings envisioned in the city's 2009 plan. If that is the case, why should the city needlessly stand in the way and impose a less efficient plan?

It's important to Vancouver's future economic competitiveness that development of this strategic hub be as ambitious as the economy of the day permits. A council with the best interests of Vancouver truly in mind shouldn't be setting arbitrary limits on the scale of such an important future project when others may be prepared to do better for the city.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by PaperTiger

Well said. Unfortunately it seems that some refuse to accept reality and prefer to think that the only thing standing between us and a phantasmagoria of architectural wonderment is the 11 people sitting at 12th and Cambie.

Many in Vancouver are just so used to the mediocrity here that they seem unable to see beyond what we have now. Sad.

By he way, the city has lots to do about how they influence the way people think here, or vice versa.... For instance, it seems that the laughable concept of view cones is so widely accepted that no one would question its rationale, or perhaps people just don't care.

Originally Posted by Vin

With so many restrictions, even on a case by case approval process, potential developers of awesome projects would not even bother to scout for lots here. There is simply no guarantee that they well get their vision built. What's left are mediocre local developers building the same ol'. That's why buildings in Vancouver are so meh. And when locals get used to such mediocrity, they simply resist the awesome, and that's what we are facing now.
.

For an important area such as the Waterfront, revitalizing it by having huge and really tall structures and amenities that would benefit the many pedestrians, residents and workers around the area should be something to be embraced by city hall as well as Vancouver residents. Watering down huge projects makes no cow sense at all! I can guarantee that should a huge and modern retail mall were to be built there by the waterfront, the area would become a new hub for tourists and locals. Skyscrapers can be built above the mall/entertainment centre.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Vin

By he way, the city has lots to do about how they influence the way people think here, or vice versa.... For instance, it seems that the laughable concept of view cones is so widely accepted that no one would question its rationale, or perhaps people just don't care.

I'm fully convinced that a few planning staff have done nothing but protect their jobs by championing the moronic viewcones.

They're such a perfect example of forest-for-trees planning departments.

Sorry for the off-topic.

[Klazu]

Not going to miss that parkade.

[LeftCoaster]

Pretty wild how 2 100+ M towers will be added to that small square block.

Vancouver's downtown is getting cray dense.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Pretty wild how 2 100+ M towers will be added to that small square block.

Vancouver's downtown is getting cray dense.

Don't forget the mystery "origami" tower across Cordova.

[LeftCoaster]

How could I forget that one?

[Prometheus]

Will they actually be built anytime soon, though?

[NewWester]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Pretty wild how 2 100+ M towers will be added to that small square block.

Vancouver's downtown is getting cray dense.

So cray. Crazy Cray. Cray Cray.

[LeftCoaster]

hahaha would you believe me if I said it was a type-o?

whoops.

It IS pretty cray tho.

[NewWester]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

hahaha would you believe me if I said it was a type-o?

whoops.

It IS pretty cray tho.

I was celebrating, not criticizing. Sometimes stuff is Cray.

[Klazu]

I agree that we could do with some more color in the cityscape. I would love to see more highrises being built using red and brown brick walls. But I guess that is not possible as long as everyone wants to have floor-to-ceiling windows, which leaves very little room for using anything else than glass as material.

But yeah, I am really looking forward to seeing changes coming to this area. It is currently dead to day the least. Without Gastown nearby it would be a dead zone.

[osirisboy]

Lol cray cray

Does anyone know what was there before the hideous parking garage ?