Canada's tallest building with a public observation deck proposed for Vancouver | Daily Hive

Preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the Hudson's Bay parkade city block redevelopment at 501-595 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Holborn Group)

This article is Part 2 of Daily Hive Urbanized’s three-part series unveiling what may be the most ambitious private-sector building proposal in downtown Vancouver’s history.

PART 1: Downtown Vancouver’s skyline soars with proposal for landmark towers up to 1,033 ft
PART 3: Holborn Group proposes 38-storey social housing tower for Gastown

Vancouver could eventually become home to Canada’s tallest building with a public observation deck, as part of an ambitious proposal by developer Holborn Group to transform a prominent site in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

This newly proposed supertall tower would dramatically reshape Vancouver’s skyline and technically boast the highest publicly accessible observation deck within a building. However, Toronto’s CN Tower would still retain its title as the tallest public observation deck in the country overall.

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a “supertall” skyscraper is any structure that reaches at least 984 feet (300 metres) in height — a benchmark reserved for only a select tier of global high-rise architecture. The building’s height would be a first in Canada west of Toronto.

The proposed Vancouver supertall tower — one of three tall mixed-use towers for a new complex proposed by Holborn Group — would reach a height of 1,033 ft (315 metres). Its one-of-a-kind, enclosed-glass dome public observation deck would be perched on top of the tower at a height of over 1,000 ft (305 metres).

Furthermore, if built today, this proposed Vancouver supertall tower would rank as Canada’s tallest building — surpassing Toronto’s 978-ft (298 metres) First Canadian Place. It would also stand as the third-tallest building nationwide across all categories: existing, under construction, approved, or proposed.

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While the CN Tower rises much higher, it is technically classified as a “freestanding structure” rather than a “building,” primarily because it lacks continuous occupiable floor plates from base to crown. As such, this new tower, if built, would claim the title of Canada’s tallest building with a public observation deck.

The CN Tower reaches a total height of 1,815 ft (553 metres), including its iconic communications antenna spire. Its main observation deck sits 1,135 ft (346 metres) above ground, while its highest viewing point, known as “The Top,” a smaller secondary observation deck, is perched at a height of 1,465 ft (447 metres).

Preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the Hudson’s Bay parkade city block redevelopment at 501-595 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Holborn Group)

The public observation deck at the proposed Vancouver supertall tower would stand as the tallest attraction of its kind anywhere on the continent west of the Mississippi River. It would exceed the heights of several major West Coast landmarks, including the 520-ft (160 metres) upper deck at the Space Needle and the 902-ft (275 metres) Sky View Observatory at Columbia Center in Seattle, and the 866-ft (264 metres) indoor and 909-ft (277 metres) outdoor decks at The STRAT in Las Vegas.

For another comparison, the Calgary Tower has a full structural height of 626 ft. (191 metres), with its observation deck at a height of 517 ft (158 metres) above ground.

Vancouver’s only public observation deck attraction at present is The Lookout, perched atop the Harbour Centre tower — just two city blocks north of Holborn Group’s proposed redevelopment site at 501–595 West Georgia St. While it generated significant buzz when it was officially opened by Neil Armstrong in 1977, its allure and prominence has since diminished, as the surrounding skyline has grown to include numerous towers of similar or greater height, limiting its once-commanding views.

Harbour Centre’s upper rooftop — just above the public observation deck and the “Top Of Vancouver” revolving restaurant — has a height of 482 ft (147 metres), according to CTBUH. The proposed supertall tower would be over two times taller than Harbour Centre.

harbour centre the lookout observation vancouver

Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. (Felipe Sanchez/Shutterstock)

The Lookout at Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. (Luis Camargo/Shutterstock)

The existing Harbour Centre tower shown on the right; preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the Hudson’s Bay parkade city block redevelopment at 501-595 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Holborn Group)

The city had another public observation deck up until 2017, when the 394-ft-tall (120 metres) Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson Street permanently closed for its demolition. Atop the 1973-built hotel tower, there was a Cloud 9 tower rooftop revolving restaurant and observation attraction.

Also located in downtown Vancouver is the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront. When this 20-storey hotel first opened at Coal Harbour in 1972, it featured a rooftop revolving restaurant called Vistas Revolving Restaurant & Bar. Once known for its panoramic views, the restaurant has since closed, with those views now largely obscured by taller towers that have risen in the surrounding area since the 1990s. For many years now, this former restaurant space has been called the “Vistas 360 room” — billed as Vancouver’s only revolving event and wedding space.

In 2022, Cadillac Fairview submitted an application to renovate the former Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, a 1976-built, 305-ft-tall (93 metres), for its reuse by a new luxury hotel operator, including the conversion of the tower rooftop level into a restaurant, bar, lounge, and a partially-covered outdoor terrace — altogether, creating an experience not dissimilar to an observation deck. However, this renovation project fell apart, with Cadillac Fairview confirming in early 2025 its revised plan to demolish the tower and instead pursue a brand new mixed-use tower development from scratch at some point in the future.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring city of Burnaby, WPJ McCarthy and Company has recently submitted an application to build McCarthy Plaza tower, an 853-ft-tall (260-metre) mixed-use tower in Metrotown, which would include a public observation deck, signalling growing regional interest in elevated urban attractions that take advantage of the region’s stunning natural scenery and evolving cityscapes.

Cancelled project: Artistic rendering of the 28th floor restaurant, bar, and lounge at the new hotel within the former Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver tower. (Zeidler Architecture/Cadillac Fairview)

mccarthy plaza tower metrotown 5000 kingsway burnaby

Preliminary concept of McCarthy Plaza tower at 5000 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Dialog/WPJ McCarthy and Company)

Observation deck on the 71st level; preliminary concept of McCarthy Plaza tower at 5000 Kingsway, Burnaby. (Dialog/WPJ McCarthy and Company)

Vancouver’s once-iconic hotel rooftops may have faded from prominence, but Holborn Group is keen to bring the experience back — with a bold new scale and verticality. Its public observation deck would sit atop the supertall hotel tower with 920 guest rooms and a vast 70,000 sq. ft. conference centre, redefining Vancouver’s tourism offerings vertically.

“I made sure if we’re going to be the tallest tower in Vancouver, it has to be for the right reasons. You need to have a tower that people can get behind and support you,” Holborn Group president Joo Kim Tiah told Daily Hive Urbanized in a sit-down interview this past Monday.

That is also why access to the public observation deck would be free for Vancouver residents who book online in advance. Tourists would pay an admission fee.

“And so, I made sure that the tallest tower was not a residential tower, but a commercial tower — a hotel tower with an observation deck — that locals could really get there, experience the views, and show their friends around town that this is what our city is about to look at how beautiful the view we have, and be proud of the tower that represents them, the tallest tower downtown. That is the vision,” continued Tiah.

The attraction would include a prominent street-level entrance, an observation deck lobby and elevator access located on the entire second floor, and two high-speed elevators offering direct service to the top of the tower.

Around the world, many public observation deck attractions incorporate immersive experiences, setting the tone before the journey to the top. Large lobby spaces are often designed to showcase local history, culture, and/or architectural innovation, providing a transitional experience that also functions as the queuing area for elevator access. Some notable examples include the Skydeck at Willis Tower in Chicago, The Edge at Hudson Yards and the One World Observatory at One World Trade Center in New York City.

Some of these major attractions also extensively use immersive digital technology, including the high-speed elevator rides, which feature digital screen panels on the walls, ceiling, and even the floor. These screens display dynamic animations and graphics designed to heighten the sense of thrill and anticipation throughout the quick vertical journey. A notable variation of this concept can be found at the A’DAM Lookout in Amsterdam, where the elevator shaft is transformed into a dramatic LED light show, visible through a glass ceiling within the elevator cab.

There are also some exceptions to this seamless vertical elevator link, such as at The View from The Shard in London, which has a mid-tower transfer floor where visitors need to transfer between elevators.

hudsons bay parkade vancouver redevelopment observation deck holborn

Preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the Hudson’s Bay parkade city block redevelopment at 501-595 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Holborn Group)

Unique to Vancouver, the proposed observation deck would be housed within a striking, high-ceiling glass dome, capping off the tower’s glass sponge reef-inspired architectural concept. This enclosed crown could feature a soaring interior space designed to accommodate a lush green sky garden, a water feature, and a one-of-a-kind destination restaurant. In total, the preliminary concept envisions approximately 30,000 square feet of observation deck space, including both public areas and back-of-house support functions.

Working with Vancouver-based Henriquez Partners Architects, the formal rezoning application was submitted to the municipal government last week.

“The metaphor that we thought of was to inhabit, obviously, the top of the sea sponge. We wanted to make this place a world where local plants will be good all year-round,” Henriquez Partners Architects managing principal Gregory Henriquez told Daily Hive Urbanized during the interview, explaining the design inspiration for the public observation deck’s glass dome.

“And if you go out in the winter to the Bloedel Conservatory, it’s really a magical place. So if we could take the conservatory, put it up on top of our building, overlooking all of the context that surrounds you in the mountains, it could be something really special. And so, the idea is a garden in the sky.”

Preliminary conceptual artistic rendering of the Hudson’s Bay parkade city block redevelopment at 501-595 West Georgia Street, Vancouver. (Henriquez Partners Architects/Holborn Group)

Tiah emphasized that the exact design, functionality, and layout of the observation deck will be refined further during the upcoming development application stage. But he noted that many people have already compared their concept to a miniature version of the Jewel at Singapore’s Changi Airport, referencing its lush interior, iconic architecture, and immersive public experience.

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The project also includes two other adjacent mixed-use residential towers of comparable height and a standalone 38-storey social housing tower on a separate secondary site nearby in the city centre, which would be built as a gift to the City of Vancouver in exchange for the project’s approved market residential density.

Other components at the main development site include new additional underground entrances into SkyTrain’s Granville Station, a major public plaza, and retail and restaurant uses.

If all goes as planned, construction on the first phase could begin in about five years. The entire project is estimated to cost about $2.73 billion.

This article is Part 2 of Daily Hive Urbanized’s three-part series unveiling what may be the most ambitious private-sector building proposal in downtown Vancouver’s history.