320 Granville St |115m | 32Fl | Completed - Page 7

trofirhen · #**121** Posted **May 15, 2013, 11:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacrifice333

Seems really massive at the top. I wouldn't mind if it tapered back in a bit more, but then maybe it'd be cursed like the Residences at Hotel Georgia!

Would be great to see more of a "Path" develop between the various buildings / shopping centres / transit connections.

I don't think downtown Vancouver is really big enough to warrant a PATH system such as in Toronto, or, snazzier still, Montreal's Underground City. Nevertheless, I agree totally that we've reached a point where some key underground links between office/shopiing/transit would be great.

Also, don' let them hoodwink you with that old line: "oh, but Montreal and Toronto are wintry and cold; here in Vancouver we don't need such a thing." Not as Siberian as back East, but entering a shopping centre or office soaked with heavy rain is just about as bad.

There was once a plan to link the Royal Centre to the Pacific Centre, but I think that one died a long time ago.

Hed Kandi · #**122** Posted **May 16, 2013, 2:05 AM**

Great improvement! Excellence will of course be determined by the quality of glazing.

officedweller · #**123** Posted **May 16, 2013, 4:42 AM**

From the Canada Line thread.
Given the track overrun, I think the connection would have to be directly to the north (to the passage under Cordova).

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr.x

WATERFRONT STATION

WarrenC12 · #**124** Posted **May 16, 2013, 2:17 PM**

What happened with the whole bus-lane collapsing danger at Waterfront? I noticed (for the first time) last night the lane was open again after months of closure. Was there a permanent fix?

Built Form · #**125** Posted **May 22, 2013, 9:10 AM**

Sorry I was wrong, there will not be a direct connection to the Canada Line. VIA just meant the tower is in close proximity to the station across the street.

Ground floorplan

Mezzanine

Cordova frontage showing all the space devoted to the bicycle. A complete one stop Bike Hub (repair, valet and parking taking up half the ground floor) a Bixi bike share station and of coarse bicycle parking along the entire Granville frontage.

Looking north on the Granville side

Looking south on the Granville side

pix by Built Form

deasine · #**126** Posted **May 22, 2013, 5:51 PM**

That's disappointing but not entirely surprising.

jlousa · #**127** Posted **May 27, 2013, 10:55 PM**

phesto · #**128** Posted **May 27, 2013, 11:17 PM**

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

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Note the height in the original proposal (tallest tower looks to be well over 500 ft) and subsequent discussion regarding reaffirmation of view cones means that anything tall is probably off the table now. Though the Central Waterfront Hub area is still 5-15 years away from buildout, so who knows?

trofirhen · #**129** Posted **May 27, 2013, 11:27 PM**

320 Granville looks better than the first design proposal, and worlds better than that hideous parkade there now ... yet it could have been snazzier, or, should I say, more daring and elegant in its design. It seems OK, but rather insipid, IMO. Then again, maybe not. Everyone will interpret it differently.

queetz@home · #**130** Posted **May 28, 2013, 12:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by trofirhen

320 Granville looks better than the first design proposal, and worlds better than that hideous parkade there now ... yet it could have been snazzier, or, should I say, more daring and elegant in its design. It seems OK, but rather insipid, IMO. Then again, maybe not. Everyone will interpret it differently.

The design is good enough! Lets just get this process done and get started on building this thing already, while the momentum is hot!

Yes, the parkade needs to be gone, and this building will probably be the best addition to the downtown office inventory since Bentall 5 phase 2 (sorry MNP, Telus and Bentall Stub...and CS Tower, bleh!).

Assuming the UDP is a go, what are the *real* chances of this actually happening, especially with Christy now on power?

djh · #**131** Posted **May 28, 2013, 12:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by queetz@home

The design is good enough! Lets just get this process done and get started on building this thing already, while the momentum is hot!

Yes, the parkade needs to be gone, and this building will probably be the best addition to the downtown office inventory since Bentall 5 phase 2 (sorry MNP, Telus and Bentall Stub...and CS Tower, bleh!).

Assuming the UDP is a go, what are the *real* chances of this actually happening, especially with Christy now on power?

Time to change your signature, Queetz...

Metro-One · #**132** Posted **May 28, 2013, 1:01 AM**

MNP has the edge over this tower, but I do like this tower as well.

queetz@home · #**133** Posted **May 28, 2013, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro-One

MNP has the edge over this tower, but I do like this tower as well.

MNP is nice but it is snugged between two 20 plus storey buildings, one being Art Deco in design. Plus the floorplates are tiny. Its main advantage though is its a KPF designed building, which I am a big fan off.

But I think in terms of Bentall 5 like impact to the city scape, I think this building has what it takes. Its a good size, a fairly decent design, and a really good location. Like Bentall 5, this replaces a fugly parkade too. My fear though is it also may end up like Bentall 5 where it took FOREVER to get it completed. Ask Phesto....B5 was my obsession back in the day...

Quote:

Originally Posted by djh

Time to change your signature, Queetz...

Let me think of something...will change it in the next day or so.

East Van · #**134** Posted **May 28, 2013, 2:56 AM**

How big is the floor plate ? Size wise I assume similar to Bentall 3 ? Hopefully more of an impact...

officedweller · #**135** Posted **May 28, 2013, 3:05 AM**

Looks to be about 11,000 sq ft per floor - so not huge.
(TD Tower is 16,000 sq ft per fooor)

queetz@home · #**136** Posted **May 28, 2013, 3:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looks to be about 11,000 sq ft per floor - so not huge.
(TD Tower is 16,000 sq ft per fooor)

TD Tower is a fat building though....

officedweller · #**137** Posted **May 28, 2013, 7:06 PM**

Not by other cities' standards. Vancouver has small blocks because they are bisected by alleys.
All of the significant office towers in Vnacouver have required the closure of an alley for its footprint (Park Place, Bentall V, Scotia Tower, Royal Centre, etc.

mr.x · #**138** Posted **May 29, 2013, 7:41 AM**

Quote:

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

Note the height in the original proposal (tallest tower looks to be well over 500 ft) and subsequent discussion regarding reaffirmation of view cones means that anything tall is probably off the table now. Though the Central Waterfront Hub area is still 5-15 years away from buildout, so who knows?

That definitely looks disappointing. All that money spent on transportation infrastructure at the hub, yet we're not taking advantage of it by building taller buildings to bring more jobs and people into the hub and area?

It's disappointing that view cones takes priority over economic sense or even economies of scale. If it comes down to it, wouldn't mind seeing this project dragged along for 20 years if it means much, much taller...

Pinion · #**139** Posted **May 29, 2013, 9:05 AM**

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

Prometheus · #**140** Posted **May 29, 2013, 9:22 AM**

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.

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