1021 W Hastings | 143M | 36Fl | Completed

[Metro-One]

For mining companies we are, in fact Vancouver is one of the worlds top cities for mining businesses.

And for me that is the entire irony of Vancouver (especially Vision) and the BC NDP party. The only reason our area is affluent as it is is because of the resource extraction industries. Most Vancouverites (especially those up at SFU I can tell you!) honestly have no idea how big and important the mining industry is for Vancouver's economy.

Maybe one day when Vancouver has multi-billion dollar electric car, wind-turbine, green batteries, and solar panel company HQs and manufacturing plants can we honestly say that our economy can rely on the green sector.

How come Vancouver isn't lobbing Tesla or other such companies to build an R&D facility and manufacturing plant in Vancouver, oh wait, that is the dirty part of the green movement (also the part that supplies jobs with decent incomes) that Vancouver wants no part of...

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Most Vancouverites (especially those up at SFU I can tell you!) honestly have no idea how big and important the mining industry is for Vancouver's economy.

Can confirm.

There were times where I literally rolled my eyes and threw up my hands in frustration when people would say something along the line of: "we shouldn't be mining and stuff and, like, destroying our world. Why can't we have local non-profit businesses where people would come and share and have a non-commercial exchange economy... I hate Vancouver sometimes; there are no good jobs."

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Can confirm.

There were times where I literally rolled my eyes and threw up my hands in frustration when people would say something along the line of: "we shouldn't be mining and stuff and, like, destroying our world. Why can't we have local non-profit businesses where people would come and share and have a non-commercial exchange economy... I hate Vancouver sometimes; there are no good jobs."

I'm experiencing this at Langara as well. All over the school are petitions and posters about trying to shut down the pipeline, or the oil sands, or mining or, my personal favourite, abolish capitalism. Especially since I'm in a geography program, this topic comes up all the time, and I just sit there writing angry things in the margins of my notes until it's over

[BodomReaper]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I'm experiencing this at Langara as well. All over the school are petitions and posters about trying to shut down the pipeline, or the oil sands, or mining or, my personal favourite, abolish capitalism. Especially since I'm in a geography program, this topic comes up all the time, and I just sit there writing angry things in the margins of my notes until it's over

Same thing at UBC re: the Geography department mutating into some irrelevant social/climate/economic/_______ "justice" crusade. I spend a lot of time in their building and see all those same posters you describe, and had to endure a course where the professor devoted an entire lecture to deriding environmentalists that don't make abolishing capitalism their sole goal. Which is all a shame, since it still can be a very important discipline.

Back on topic, the MNP Tower is absolutely gorgeous. I too wish it was taller - but the absence of more height doesn't make me angry in this case since genuine economic factors and site constraints are restricting the height, not like the arbitrary municipal regulation forcing Telus Garden to be a stump.

[LeftCoaster]

^Many Vancouverites have a very skewed perception of how the world actually works.

Clearly this is not as bad as it sometimes appears with the NDP losing an election that by all accounts they should have won due to concern over their ability to handle the economy, but there are still a lot of loonytoons out there.

Rest assured there are plenty in other cities too though.

Originally Posted by EdinVan

Yes, we're well-known as a thriving business centre.

The roughly 2 million square feet of AAA office space downtown Vancouver has under construction is more than ANY other US city other than New York as of Q4 2013.

Honestly what more do you want? The classic whiny complaining on the internet doing nothing to effect change is getting really tiresome. You have a problem with Vancouver's business culture? Go get a business degree and start a damn business.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I'm experiencing this at Langara as well. All over the school are petitions and posters about trying to shut down the pipeline, or the oil sands, or mining or, my personal favourite, abolish capitalism. Especially since I'm in a geography program, this topic comes up all the time, and I just sit there writing angry things in the margins of my notes until it's over

All while driving Prius Hybrids...

p.s. I like this tower. Restaurant announcement yet?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

^Many Vancouverites have a very skewed perception of how the world actually works.

Rest assured there are plenty in other cities too though.

The roughly 2 million square feet of AAA office space downtown Vancouver has under construction is more than ANY other US city other than New York as of Q4 2013.

Honestly what more do you want? The classic whiny complaining on the internet doing nothing to effect change is getting really tiresome. You have a problem with Vancouver's business culture? Go get a business degree and start a damn business.

I agree but I think I would say this applies to Universities more so than Vancouverites as a whole.

The born rich also have some of the same ideals, as they have no idea what it takes to make a dollar.

All that aside, I'm really happy with all of the office space being created in Vancouver. I'd love to work in a nice new building downtown that's for sure.

[officedweller]

Getting back on topic -
is it my imagination or do the vision glass panels seem to protrude a small amount compared to the spandrel panels?
- so as to create raised horizontal bands across the facade?

Originally Posted by Yellow Fever

IMG_7027 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr


IMG_7028 by Yellow Fever @ SkyscraperCity, on Flickr

[NewWester]

I get that this board skews conservative, but woof you guys. You can have issues with pipelines and be concerned about the environment without being an idiot or naive hippy student. I mean, I get that pipelines are gonna happen, that Canada is natural resource land, and oil and LNG are lesser evils compared to coal (which we export a DEPRESSING amount of), but we as BCers are accepting a lot of environmental risk (which could affect our rather large tourism economy if nothing else) for a pretty nebulous promise of economic rewards. The pro-pipeline groups aren't helping by being deceitful, not making substantiative economic claims, and avoiding having a grown up discussion of the risks (look! happy fish in a stream! PIPELINE!!!). And to make matters worse, it's really unclear who is going to be responsible for this thing since corporations, designed to maximise profits, will spend as little as they can on maintenance and our government is so in the pocket of donors that they're basically toothless. So I'm left dubious about pipelines not because I'm anti-resources but because I don't trust the jokers involved to be sufficiently diligent.

I mean it's an economic analysis: there is a benefit from pipelines, but the cost of messing up is really high. So, I need to be sold on it being done right.

(Granted, I do work at UBC...)

Sorry for dragging this off topic again, but, ugh, there is a space for nuanced discussion that this issue seems to completely lack.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by NewWester

I get that this board skews conservative, but woof you guys. You can have issues with pipelines and be concerned about the environment without being an idiot or naive hippy student. I mean, I get that pipelines are gonna happen, that Canada is natural resource land, and oil and LNG are lesser evils compared to coal (which we export a DEPRESSING amount of), but we as BCers are accepting a lot of environmental risk (which could affect our rather large tourism economy if nothing else) for a pretty nebulous promise of economic rewards. The pro-pipeline groups aren't helping by being deceitful, not making substantiative economic claims, and avoiding having a grown up discussion of the risks (look! happy fish in a stream! PIPELINE!!!). And to make matters worse, it's really unclear who is going to be responsible for this thing since corporations, designed to maximise profits, will spend as little as they can on maintenance and our government is so in the pocket of donors that they're basically toothless. So I'm left dubious about pipelines not because I'm anti-resources but because I don't trust the jokers involved to be sufficiently diligent.

I mean it's an economic analysis: there is a benefit from pipelines, but the cost of messing up is really high. So, I need to be sold on it being done right.

(Granted, I do work at UBC...)

Sorry for dragging this off topic again, but, ugh.

I know the risks of pipelines, I just think the benefits outweigh them. I don't think anybody will claim that there aren't lots of things that can go wrong with them, it's just a matter of what you think is more important. The way I look at it is 1. We have lots of oil in Canada. 2. It'd be stupid if we just let all that money sit underground. 3. Now that we've dug up the oil, we need to sell it to someone. 4. If we're gonna send it to the coast anyway, pipelines are safer than rail.

I agree with what you're saying about the corporations however. I do hope that the government can do something to make sure that the companies are held accountable for any leaks or anything like that. In general, what I'm trying to say is that you're right that not all those opposed to pipelines are hippies, those just seem to be the only people I've encountered There was one time when we were watching a clip from CBC's website and an ad came up for the Northern Gateway before the video, so the teacher turned off the volume and the screen for the duration of the ad, and I am not kidding the rest of the class applauded. Things like that ruin it for rational pipeline opposers.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by NewWester

I get that this board skews conservative, but woof you guys. You can have issues with pipelines and be concerned about the environment without being an idiot or naive hippy student. I mean, I get that pipelines are gonna happen, that Canada is natural resource land, and oil and LNG are lesser evils compared to coal (which we export a DEPRESSING amount of), but we as BCers are accepting a lot of environmental risk (which could affect our rather large tourism economy if nothing else) for a pretty nebulous promise of economic rewards. The pro-pipeline groups aren't helping by being deceitful, not making substantiative economic claims, and avoiding having a grown up discussion of the risks (look! happy fish in a stream! PIPELINE!!!). And to make matters worse, it's really unclear who is going to be responsible for this thing since corporations, designed to maximise profits, will spend as little as they can on maintenance and our government is so in the pocket of donors that they're basically toothless. So I'm left dubious about pipelines not because I'm anti-resources but because I don't trust the jokers involved to be sufficiently diligent.

I mean it's an economic analysis: there is a benefit from pipelines, but the cost of messing up is really high. So, I need to be sold on it being done right.

(Granted, I do work at UBC...)

Sorry for dragging this off topic again, but, ugh, there is a space for nuanced discussion that this issue seems to completely lack.

At the risk of spouting off in a thread that's not about pipelines... I don't think people understand the realities of saying, "No!" to something such as a pipeline, underground mine, open-pit mine, or even tanker traffic in our own backyard. A yard which has quite strict environmental regulation. And in the case of an unfortunate accident both the wherewithal as well as the finances to clean something up. When we say, "No!" we are in effect saying, "YES! Just not here..." exporting environmentally sensitive operations to jurisdictions which decidedly less environment regulations and less financial means thereby virtually guaranteeing environmental havoc. After all, it's really just one big planet.

But yes... the glass vs. spandrel does seem to be of slightly differing thicknesses... adds a bit of texture which IMHO is not hideous.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Honestly what more do you want? The classic whiny complaining on the internet doing nothing to effect change is getting really tiresome. You have a problem with Vancouver's business culture? Go get a business degree and start a damn business.

What kind of "damn business" would you like me to start that our local government would support? Another real estate development firm?

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by BodomReaper

Back on topic, the MNP Tower is absolutely gorgeous. I too wish it was taller

From the street level, it seems quite tall. And the pointy part on the top will draw the eye upward even more.

[Locked In]

My photo from this afternoon:



Edit - from a bit later this afternoon:

[Prometheus]

Thanks for the photo.

Finishing the last habitable floor.

[officedweller]

Thanks.
You can see the twist or warp developing on the east facade as it rises.
Great pattern created by the fins.

[uzi]

thanks for the updates and why it is so dark in the background?

[Caliplanner]

Vancouver's local government and B.C.'s provincial government need to generate ideas as to how to attract more head office operations (especially oil/gas related ones if poosible from Alberta). This beautiful city has to stop thinking of itself as a "branch operation" urban center and more so as a head office oriented metropolis! I keep wondering why Vancouverites don't encourage all those wealthy Asian immigrants to set up major head offices for investment banks in Vancouver (with a business angle being the finance of various mining/resource extraction operations across North America).

[Bcasey25raptor]

Originally Posted by Caliplanner

Vancouver's local government and B.C.'s provincial government need to generate ideas as to how to attract more head office operations (especially oil/gas related ones if poosible from Alberta). This beautiful city has to stop thinking of itself as a "branch operation" urban center and more so as a head office oriented metropolis! I keep wondering why Vancouverites don't encourage all those wealthy Asian immigrants to set up major head offices for investment banks in Vancouver (with a business angle being the finance of various mining/resource extraction operations across North America).

I blame the hippy greenpeace attitude many Vancouverites sadly possess.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by Caliplanner

Vancouver's local government and B.C.'s provincial government need to generate ideas as to how to attract more head office operations (especially oil/gas related ones if poosible from Alberta). This beautiful city has to stop thinking of itself as a "branch operation" urban center and more so as a head office oriented metropolis! I keep wondering why Vancouverites don't encourage all those wealthy Asian immigrants to set up major head offices for investment banks in Vancouver (with a business angle being the finance of various mining/resource extraction operations across North America).

Because before, Vancouver had this "Living First" policy where office projects take a back seat, residential condos are priority, and anyone that wants to setup a large office here have other cities in the region, country or world that are simply more attractive. Actual examples of buildings that was a direct result of this Living First policy (and mentality) was The Hudson, Jamieson Place, and even how the Exchange evolved from pure beauty to sheer ugliness.

It was only a few years ago that this policy is no longer applied, starting with the moratorium to halt residential construction / conversion in the central business district, and with the combination of a business friendly Provincial government, this is why commercial developers are more than willing to build more office buildings, some even on spec (including this one prior to MNP signing on).

With regards to attracting investment firms for those wealthy immigrants, such firms have these choices over Vancouver....Toronto if it must be in Canada, or at any major Asian city such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore or Tokyo. Those cities are already established, and what little investment firms we have here, even those had to deal with Toronto or those other Asian cities for the most part anyway.

All this factor in to why MNP Tower is the way it is, with the small floorplates and all. Its the same with other office buildings underconstruction, they are not really very big. I doubt the city of Vancouver can support office buildings that are the same size as those recently built or being built in Calgary and Toronto.