Downtown Vancouver Updates

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by officedweller

vancouvermarket.ca has a map of the 601 West Cordova site for anyone wondering, and they convert to feet.

...and one of the interesting tidbits from the Gastown Historic Area Plannning Committee agenda is the architects:

B+H Architect, Adrian Smith + Gordon Hill Architecture.

http://www.bharchitects.com/en/news
http://smithgill.com/

Iconic tower, anyone? (well, hopefully not just a box) Maybe the extra height is for wind turbines?


The Central Waterfront Hub Study has that area containing an access road to the railway lands
- it'll be interesting to see how this proposal meshes with that plan.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=146079


http://www.vancouvermarket.ca/2013/12/17...ing-24-storey-office-tower-near-gastown/

Minutes of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee meeting here - they support the tower and want it set back more from The Station and Cordova Street and raise the lobby ceiling height to allow views through it.
Additional tower height and massing could be considered to help preserve the prominence of The Station and The Landing.

So I wonder if there's a road through the site to the waterfront railway lands?

http://vancouver.ca/docs/council/ghap20131218min.pdf

It's also on the Vancouver Heritage Commission agenda for January 13th:

http://vancouver.ca/docs/council/vher20140113ag.pdf

[phesto]

Interesting...they mention an "origami treatment" to the facade...whatever that means.

[subdude]

1401 Comox today



photo by me

[officedweller]

Thanks! Seems to be moving quickly.

Originally Posted by phesto

Interesting...they mention an "origami treatment" to the facade...whatever that means.

Maybe "folded planes" like these:

http://design.epfl.ch/piraeus/1-assignments/2-precedent-exercises/origami-tower-structure

http://www.iit.edu/arch/projects/student_digitaldesign.shtml

B+H also designed the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto - which has a similar "folded planes" motif to the new Vancouver Convention Centre. This tower culd be a vertical intepretation...

[red-paladin]

That entire area is actually part of the lower levels of The Station building right?

[spm2013]

....

[officedweller]

Yeah, but it would probably be excavated much deeper for the tower -
hopefully the "heritage" aspects of the basement of the station don't block the project.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by officedweller

So I wonder if there's a road through the site to the waterfront railway lands?

There isn't much room on the site, but ASGG is known for their ability to creatively work with constricted sites.

Originally Posted by phesto

Interesting...they mention an "origami treatment" to the facade...whatever that means.

It means it is going to look really cool

[NewWester]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

It means it is going to look really cool

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge? Or just gut feeling?

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

The is pure "speculation" but other towers have achieved heights above their standard floor heights due to a large crown.

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

...
It means it is going to look really cool

Origami crown?

[red-paladin]

Thanks for the info and links, spm2013.
I sure hope in return for building this new tower, the developer has to pay for part of the station restoration. (As part of the Waterfront Hub redevelopment)

[officedweller]

Cadillac Fairview also owns the Station.

http://www.thewaterfrontproperties.ca/en/leasing/thestation/Pages/default.aspx

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

I sure hope in return for building this new tower, the developer has to pay for part of the station restoration. (As part of the Waterfront Hub redevelopment)

What's wrong with the station? I always find it to be in great shape when I'm back.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Origami crown?

Can't comment, but you wont have to wait too long.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Can't comment, but you wont have to wait too long.

But would you say that "crowns" in general are more substantive (i.e., habitable-looking) structures than "spires"?

[officedweller]

I would say so - looking forward to the reveal - could be a "beacon" on the waterfront (maybe a lotus-like appearance or like The Shard), but I think there are plans for additional towers closer to the water.

*************

Noticed that a big hydro vault was installed on Robson St. in front of the R&R condo (at the alley). Looks like they cut down one of the big oak trees (2ft dia.) nearby as well (in front of Memphis Blues). Based on the orange paint and sidewalk cuts for the hydro right-of-way, it looks like the other oak tree in front of R&R may also be removed.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I would say so - looking forward to the reveal - could be a "beacon" on the waterfront (maybe a lotus-like appearance or like The Shard), but I think there are plans for additional towers closer to the water.

Note the tiny little building that the city envisions for the site, depicted as T3 in the second image below:

Originally Posted by phesto

Thanks. I hadn't seen this massing before...it shows the 2009 Whitecaps massing proposal and subsequent City proposal.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[officedweller]

Yeah, one of the heritage commission links says the Waterfront Hub Plan envisioned an 11 storey building.
Also, since the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee wanted views of The Station opened up, I think we can assume that the siting isn't as far north as shown in that second rendering. I guess it could be a skinny slab (to allow for a street).

[red-paladin]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

What's wrong with the station? I always find it to be in great shape when I'm back.

After looking at the empty spaces that are not in good shape, and thinking about all the money that will be needed to remove the current area for the access to expo line / seabus for the new waterfront hub plan, I still think there is a lot of work to be done. I agree that the parts the public use like the main hall and the facade are fine.

[officedweller]

Noticed a Microsoft sign (with the 4 coloured square logo) up on the old Pivotal / Vision Critical building - there's one facing the city (Beatty side) and a nicely prominent one facing Cambie Bridge (though not nearly as big (and gaudy) as the former Vision Critical sign).