As reported last week, Nordstrom confirmed its Canadian flagship at the Downtown Sears Building. It has been announced that the 1973-built former Eatons complex (now Sears) will receive a major retrofit – new renderings now show a glass facade for the exterior of the building, designed by local architect James Cheng.
James Cheng is well-known for his designs in Vancouver, having also designed other locally prominent buildings such as the Shangri-La, Fairmont Pacific Rim, and the Shaw Tower. For more details on the project and Nordstrom’s expansion, click here. Nordstrom will occupy 230,000 square feet over the first three floors (including street level), and Pacific Centre will expand on the lower underground floor where the current men’s department of Sears is located. Office space will take over the remaining upper levels of the building. The new rejuvenated design will bring much new energy and flair to the area, its open design (which includes multiple prominent entrances, including a new direct entrance to Pacific Centre from Robson Street) will bring much more activity to the building and precinct, including Robson Square.
Sears will close on October 31 with major construction beginning in November. The expanded Pacific Centre on the lower underground level will open in late-2014 while Nordstrom will open in the spring of 2015.
Comment below, let us know what you think of the new architectural design.
New building rendering image credits: Sophie Lui at Global BC
Video source: Blah City
Existing Sears building
Written by Kenneth Chan, a Columnist at Vancity Buzz. Follow me on Twitter: @kjmagine
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