New renderings of 47-storey tower proposed for Davie and Burrard community garden
There are ambitious plans to pack in a multitude of mixed uses into a proposed redevelopment at the northwest corner of the intersection of Burrard Street and Davie Street.
See also
- 425-ft-tall tower proposed for community garden at Davie and Burrard corner
- Third tower proposed for Burrard Place in downtown Vancouver
- New Burrard Place office tower in downtown Vancouver to open in 2020
- New renderings of quartz-shaped 'snowy' tower proposed for downtown Vancouver
- 35-storey condo tower with art gallery proposed for downtown Vancouver
A rezoning application submitted by Prima Properties for 1157 Burrard Street seeks to turn the 21,605-sq-ft former gas station site — turned into a temporary community garden — into 480-ft-tall, 47-storey tower.
This is noticeably taller than the pre-application design of a 425-ft-tall tower with 43 storeys, and it would extend into a small portion of the Queen Elizabeth Park view cone in exchange for significant public benefits.
The proposal, designed by Merrick Architecture, calls for 236 market residential units, with the unit mix consisting of 65 studio units, 111 one-bedroom units, and 110 two-bedroom units. However, there is the option of utilizing 50 of the residential units within the lower levels as a hotel property.
Residents and potentially hotel guests will have access to a significant amenity space on the seventh level, complete with 7,000 sq. ft. of indoor amenity spaces and a large outdoor rooftop with an infinity swimming pool and hot tub fed by collected rainwater, a children’s playground, urban agriculture beds, an formal outdoor garden, and dining area.
Other uses within the building include a 17,000-sq-ft office space dedicated to community use, a 37-space public daycare facility on the third level rooftop, and 25,400 sq. ft. of retail space on the ground level.
According to the design rationale, the tower features a flatiron shape and is inspired by the ‘West Coast’ environment and the nearby Electra tower — the former BC Hydro building.
An ever-moving system of sun shades on the tower’s western facade provides the tower with a unique exterior look; solar control blinds “respond dynamically to the movement of the sun and lower to form a pixilated evocation of the ground, sea, forest, mountain peaks and sky. As the sun sets they open again to reveal a glowing glass skin below.”
The design rationale continues: “As viewed from Burrard Street, the project’s flatiron shape establishes an exceptionally slim tall proportion quite distinct from many of the wider commercial buildings in the backdrop. The pivoting facet to the balconies on the leading edge of the flatiron, creates a dynamic character to this elevation that guides the eye towards the West End and Davie Village. It is a gesture of welcome from ceremonial Burrard Street to the Village.”
At the corner of the property where the site meets the intersection, there will be a public plaza covered by a glass canopy that gathers rainwater, which is directed into a “small ‘wetland’ evocative of the West Coast landscape.”
Seven underground levels will accommodate 265 vehicle parking stalls.
Altogether, the proposal calls for 302,222 sq. ft. of total floor area, giving it a floor space ratio density of 13.99 times the size of its lot.
The application is being contemplated under the municipal government’s West End Community Plan and the Rezoning Policy for the West End.
See also
- 425-ft-tall tower proposed for community garden at Davie and Burrard corner
- Third tower proposed for Burrard Place in downtown Vancouver
- New Burrard Place office tower in downtown Vancouver to open in 2020
- New renderings of quartz-shaped 'snowy' tower proposed for downtown Vancouver
- 35-storey condo tower with art gallery proposed for downtown Vancouver