Humanoid figures added to new downtown Vancouver tower as public art
A striking public art component has been added to the base of Grosvenor Americas’ new The Pacific tower, located near the north end of the Burrard Street Bridge in downtown Vancouver.
Conceptualized by local artist Lyse Lemieux, the “Personnages” installation is comprised of 18-ft-tall figures adorned to the double-height columns outside the lobby of the 39-storey condominium tower.
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“Public art should always be about giving back to the community. My goal with the Personnages mosaics was to create drawings that people living in the building and in the neighbourhood would identify and relate to,” said Lemieux.
“These figures are both observers and participants to our times; sometimes gendered and sometimes not.”
Personnages by Lyse Lemieux at The Pacific at 889 Pacific Street, Vancouver. (Grosvenor Americas)
Her inspiration for the installation’s early concept came from the columns that wrap around the ground level facade of the tower, which reminded her of Greek caryatids — sculpted human figures that provide architectural support instead of a conventional column or pillar.
She was also drawn to mosaics for their storytelling properties, capitalizing on the timeless appeal of this medium that is both rooted in the past while still feeling very contemporary.
The figures are prominently positioned at street level, with the building located at the northeast corner of Hornby Street and Pacific Street.
In addition to the figures, the tower’s entire Hornby Street facade is accentuated by a special nighttime lighting feature.
Personnages by Lyse Lemieux at The Pacific at 889 Pacific Street, Vancouver. (Grosvenor Americas)
Personnages by Lyse Lemieux at The Pacific at 889 Pacific Street, Vancouver. (Grosvenor Americas)
The Pacific at 889 Pacific Street, entailing 224 upscale condominium homes, reached completion this past summer.
The development site also includes the retained and restored heritage Leslie House, and a seven-storey community artist production hub building at 825 Pacific Street, funded and developed by Grosvenor Americas as a community amenity contribution. This artist hub building also recently reached completion.
Both the main tower and the artist hub building are designed by ACDF Architecture and IBI Group.
Construction progress of One Burrard Place at 1290 Burrard Street (left) and The Pacific at 889 Pacific Street (right) in downtown Vancouver, as of January 23, 2021. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Construction progress of The Pacific at 889 Street, Vancouver, as of January 23, 2021. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
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