New renderings of quartz-shaped 'snowy' tower proposed for downtown Vancouver

Artistic rendering of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Neil M Denari Architects / Bingham Hill Architects)

There are now new detailed renderings showing the architectural concept of the tower proposed by Reliance Properties for 902 Davie Street – the southwest corner of Davie Street and Hornby Street, where a 7-Eleven store is currently located.

Architectural renderings by Los Angeles-based Neil M. Denari Architects (NMDA) show a pattern of punctured windows onto the facade of a quartz-like shape building as a result of being heavily sculpted, creating sloped surfaces. Much of this is also due to the need to overcome the view cone height restrictions that penetrate through the site.

Artistic rendering of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Neil M Denari Architects / Bingham Hill Architects)

“In combination with the sectionally dominant light/shadow plane that establishes the sloped peak to the building, even without the hand of the architect, a unique form emerges, one that will surely stand out in the Vancouver skyline,” reads NMDA’s design rationale.

“To these site driven constraints we add slopes of our own that further facet this prismatic mass. Indeed, in a dense urban setting, buildings, especially tall ones, are designed around both found and imposed conditions, and in this, 902 Davie is no different. Yet the very ambition to protect the view of nature has given us a building that mirrors the type of landforms that are protected.”

The 300-ft-tall tower’s white spire – a pointed mass at the top of the building – is said to be inspired by the twin mountain peaks of the Lions on the North Shore.

Artistic rendering of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Neil M Denari Architects / Bingham Hill Architects)

Overall, the design’s light white colour is a reference to the snowy mountain peak, and there is a “graphic consistency and intensity” of a slightly misaligned window pattern, with the facade made up of 60% glass and 40% opaque surface areas.

The building’s primary envelope material is precast concrete panels with a sand-blasted finish that will frost and lighten the exterior appearance.

“This material will give the building a necessary kind of weight while still remaining luminous. Smooth finish panels with patterns of micro-relief will be used as accents such as on the sloping soffits and sills at the bottom of the building,” continues the rationale.

Artistic rendering of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Neil M Denari Architects / Bingham Hill Architects)

As for building uses, there will be 158 secured market rental homes, including 77 studio and micro units, 22 one-bedroom units, 44 two-bedroom units, and 15 units with three bedrooms or more.

Within the lower levels, proponents plan to incorporate 27,500 sq. ft. of office space, 4,400-sq-ft of ground-level retail, and only 79 underground parking stalls, with 65 stalls dedicated for residents, 11 stalls for office, three stalls for retail, and five stalls for car share.

Overall, the tower will have a total floor area of about 157,000-sq-ft, giving it a floor space ratio density of 10.5 times the size of its lot.

Vancouver-based Bingham Hill Architects is the project’s executive architect and the architect of record. A formal rezoning application to the municipal government is anticipated later this summer to meet a goal of receiving City Council’s approval in spring 2019.

The project is immediately adjacent to the site of the proposed third and final tower of Burrard Place, which is depicted above in detail in NMDA’s new renderings for 902 Davie Street.

Site of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Bingham Hill Architects / Reliance Properties)

Site of 902 Davie Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

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