Metrotown tower weeks away from becoming Metro Vancouver’s tallest building | Daily Hive

Concord Pacific tower in Metrotown now weeks away from becoming Metro Vancouver's tallest building

Construction progress on Concord Metrotown's first phase, as of July 16, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Within the coming weeks, as additional concrete floor plates are poured during its final construction ascent, Concord Metrotown‘s Sky House tower will reach and exceed 708 ft. (216 metres) — the full height of the existing Two Gilmore Place tower — to become Metro Vancouver’s new tallest building.

Then, in late October 2026, Sky House is expected to top out at its rooftop, reaching an ultimate height of 748 ft. (228 metres) with 65 storeys — cementing a new urban pinnacle for the region. The ultimate height difference between Sky House and Two Gilmore Place in Burnaby’s Brentwood district will be 40 ft. (12 metres).

Sky House is one of three towers in the first phase of Concord Pacific’s redevelopment of the northeast corner of the Metropolis at Metrotown mall property in Burnaby, with the entire first phase expected to reach 100 per cent completion in 2027. Construction first began in early 2022.

The first phase’s other two towers — 45 storeys (centre tower) and 33 storeys (west tower) to the west of Sky House — already topped out earlier this year.

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In 2023, the Two Gilmore Place tower dethroned the previous longtime record holder, the 659-ft-tall (201 metres) Park Hyatt Vancouver tower (formerly Shangri-La Vancouver), during its final construction ascent to become Metro Vancouver’s new tallest building.

Two Gilmore Place’s tallest title will therefore last for a total of only about three years, ending later this summer when it is surpassed by additional floor plate pours for Sky House.

But Sky House will almost certainly hold this superlative title for a considerably longer period, perhaps for at least a decade. A number of taller buildings are proposed or planned — nearby in the Metrotown district area, including just across the street, elsewhere in Burnaby at the Lougheed district, and in Downtown Vancouver — but they are all likely years away from starting construction due to the time required for final permitting and entitlements, as well as the current challenging market conditions. Construction itself is a years-long process, and would likely take even longer given the added complexity of building to greater heights.

Moreover, because Sky House sits on high ground, it will be visible from considerable distances across the Lower Mainland. Its geodetic height — the combined elevation of the land above sea level and the height of the structure — will reach 1,181 ft. (360 metres), which is just 33 ft. (10 metres) shorter than Burnaby Mountain in the distance.

concord metrotown burnaby construction july 19 2026

Construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of July 19, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

concord metrotown burnaby construction july 16 2026

Construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of July 16, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Together, all three towers in this mixed-use residential and commercial development, including Sky House, represent a total building floor area of about 1.2 million sq. ft.

This includes approximately 1,400 strata market ownership condominium homes — including 662 units in the tallest tower, 429 units in the central tower, and 293 units in the west tower — and although the project is still some time away from welcoming its first residents, a few homes already look liveable.

Several completed units on the 13th level of the west tower have been fully furnished, effectively serving as showrooms within the actual structure, with the developer providing some serious prospective buyers with hard hat tours to reach the units.

Daily Hive Urbanized was also recently provided with a construction tour of some of the project’s spaces, including these real showroom units in the mid-section of the west tower.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the units is the solarium that wraps around the perimeter of the floor plate. The design of the solariums at this project can function much like an outdoor patio when its exterior windows are retracted, while the covered outdoor space can also be combined with the indoor living area when the interior floor-to-ceiling retractable glass sliding doors are opened. The seamless indoor-outdoor transition is further enhanced by the spaces being on the same level, without any raised ledge along the interior glass sliding doors.

All-season use of the solarium is further aided by overhead heaters. When all of the exterior windows are closed, narrow air gaps between the retractable window frames still allow some airflow, making it far more sheltered than a conventional patio, but not quite a fully enclosed indoor living space either.

concord metrotown burnaby construction may 20 2026

Furnished showroom condo unit in the west tower of Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Kenneth Chan)

Furnished showroom condo unit in the west tower of Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Kenneth Chan)

All three towers share a base podium, which includes a 66,000-sq-ft lower rooftop level dedicated entirely to the “Sky Park” outdoor amenity space for residents. It will feature a large outdoor swimming pool surrounded by an outdoor spa and lounge, barrel saunas, a children’s water park, a children’s playground, mini golf, a tea house, landscaped gardens, a water garden, a dog park, pet grooming facility, ping pong zone, and both indoor and outdoor fitness areas.

The floor will also offer 6,000 sq. ft. of indoor amenity space, including an entertainment lounge and co-working space.

Moreover, the entire Sky Park floor plate is wrapped around its perimeter by a meandering, 400-metre-long looping outdoor running/walking track.

A segment of the track also wraps around one of Concord Metrotown’s most architecturally distinctive features — an approximately four-storey-tall enclosed glass dome containing a lush green conservatory amenity space, with the dome’s overall shape and structural system taking inspiration from a Russian jewelled Fabergé egg.

The egg-shaped structure is located at the westernmost end of the complex, with about half of it extending below the floor plate — making it visible from a new internal street and to those passing by along Kingsway.

Sky Park amenity level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Sky Park amenity level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Fabergé egg-shaped conservatory on the Sky Park amenity level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Below the running/walking track of the Sky Park amenity level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Conceptual artistic rendering of the Sky Park amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Model of Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Kenneth Chan)

Running/walking track and the Fabergé egg-shaped conservatory; conceptual artistic rendering of the Sky Park amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Swimming pool and barrel saunas; conceptual artistic rendering of the Sky Park amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Work pods; conceptual artistic rendering of the Sky Park amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

The quality and unusually large quantity of shared amenity spaces for residents are made possible by the project’s critical mass of residents and resulting economies of scale, with more than 2,000 people expected to call the three towers home.

“We’re seeing more multi-generational families choosing our Burnaby communities,” Terry Hui, the CEO of Concord Pacific, told Daily Hive Urbanized in a statement.

“Our convertible solariums provide flexible, expanded living space within each home, while shared amenities and community spaces give families places to gather and connect. Together, they allow different generations to live independently while staying close to one another.”

One level below the Sky Park, there will be a 47,000-sq-ft secured bike parking facility for residents. But unlike the typical secured bike parking facilities found in other recent residential buildings across the region, this facility will offer much more than just bike storage.

There will also be additional amenity space on this bike parkade level, with glass-enclosed areas featuring a bike gear room, bike wash station, a large spin studio, gaming lounge, and a lounge space with seating. Natural light wells from the Sky Park above will also enhance the experience of these spaces.

Residents will be able to safely ride their bikes along wide, bike lane-like pathways across the expansive second level to and from dedicated bike elevators.

Further below at ground level, there will be nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space across 13 commercial units, ranging in size from about 1,100 sq. ft. to more than 6,000 sq. ft.

Some of these commercial units also boast very high ceilings. These commercial spaces will activate the complex’s frontages along Kingsway, Nelson Avenue, and the new internal streets within the mall property.

At this early stage, no confirmed tenants have been announced.

Construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Retail/restaurant space on the ground level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Natural light well within the bike amenity space in the second level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Bike amenity space in the second level; construction progress on Concord Metrotown’s first phase, as of May 20, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

Lounge area; conceptual artistic rendering of the bike amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Bike gear room; conceptual artistic rendering of the bike amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Games room; conceptual artistic rendering of the bike amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Spin studio; conceptual artistic rendering of the bike amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Ground-level retail/restaurant space; conceptual artistic rendering of the Sky Park amenity level at Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Concord Pacific)

Future additional phases of Concord Metrotown will redevelop a significant portion of the mall’s remaining Kingsway surface vehicle parking lot immediately west of the first phase footprint, as well as the former Toys ‘R’ Us/Sears department store wing of the mall.

In 2023, Burnaby City Council approved the remaining phases of Concord Metrotown, which will entail five additional towers with a broader mix of uses. These additional towers would range from 40 storeys to 60 storeys in height. There would be additional strata market ownership condominium homes and secured purpose-built rental housing — both market and below-market — for a total of more than 2,200 additional homes. The plans also call for a significant commercial-only tower with hotel and office uses, along with additional ground-level retail/restaurant space, including a new major entrance into the indoor mall. Construction has yet to begin.

In 2015, amid the department store chain’s growing financial challenges, Sears Canada sold the approximately nine acres it owned at the northeast corner of the Metropolis at Metrotown mall property to Concord Pacific. The first phase now reach completion was previously a portion of the mall’s large surface vehicle parking lot.

La Caisse, formerly known as Ivanhoe Cambridge, owns the remaining approximately 35-acre footprint of Metropolis at Metrotown mall and has very long-term plans to demolish and redevelop the indoor mall and surrounding parking facilities.

The vision would transform the property into the core of the municipal government’s designated Metrotown Downtown area — a high-density, mixed-use district with numerous tall towers configured around a new urban street grid, with extensive retail, restaurant, and other commercial uses within their lower levels.

La Caisse remains in the early stages of putting together a master plan for the decades-long, gradual retreat of the indoor mall to enable phased redevelopment. The potential concepts also include retaining a smaller portion of the existing mall or constructing a new, significantly smaller indoor mall within the redeveloped property.

La Caisse previously indicated that the existing indoor mall would largely remain intact until shortly after the midpoint of this century, with the redevelopment timeline tied in part to the expiration of long-term leases held by major anchor tenants.

In many ways, Concord Metrotown’s first phase provides a preview of what could eventually come to the rest of the site of British Columbia’s largest shopping centre, decades from now.

Model of Concord Metrotown’s first phase. (Kenneth Chan)

Model of Concord Pacific’s Concord Metrotown project and the potential concept of La Caisse’s Metropolis at Metrotown mall redevelopment. (Kenneth Chan)

metropolis at metrotown mall redevelopment april 2024

April 2024 master plan concept for the Metropolis at Metrotown redevelopment: Full buildout of the entire mall redevelopment. (La Caisse)

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