Vancouver's second tallest tower after Shangri-La: Ritz Carlton


On June 8, 2005 the City of Vancouver Urban Design Panel unanimously approved the development of the new design - the city's newest and second tallest skyscraper, 1153 West Georgia. To be located on Vancouver's West Georgia Street in the Central Business District, this slim, triangular, elegant 183-metre/600 foot tower rotates 45 degrees between its base and its roof.

1133 West Georgia will be a mixed-use building, consisting of a 5-star, 200 room hotel (Ritz Carlton Vancouver) and high-end residential units. The recreational and spa amenities will be accessed by both hotel and residential users. Beginning at level 7 there will be 18 levels of hotel units. Level 25 contains mechanical equipment. Beyond level 25, all floors contain residential suites, primarily one and two bedroom units ranging from 500 to 1000 square feet, with larger suites on the upper floors. The top two floors contain two-storey penthouse suites that, in addition to open balconies, will enjoy very large green private terraces on the roof level. Balconies and roof terraces are defined and protected by horizontal and vertical extensions of the curtain wall glazing of the tower.

1133 West Georgia is designed by a collaboration of Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, Davidson Yuen Simpson Architects and Arthur Erickson, design consultant.

Construction will commence in mid-2007 and will end in early-2010, with most of the structure ready for the 2010 Olympics.


- June 7, 2005: Arthur Erickson, working with architects MCMP, designs a slim, triangular shaped glass tower which appears to twist 45 degrees from bottom to top, calling it "hyperbolic paraboloids".
- June 8, 2005: New "twisted" redesign unanimously approved by UDP as 'stunning, evocative, and beautiful, complementing Living Shangri-La' across the street. Application for rezoning from DD to CD-1 reviewed.
- Similar in design to Sweden's HSB Turning Torso.
- Features a 5-star, 200 room hotel and high-end residential units with the top floors containing two-storey penthouse suites.
- From level 7 there are 18 levels of hotel units.
- Level 25 is a mechanical equipment floor, followed by residential units all the way to the top.
- Construction will commence in early 2006.
- Solar tubes on the roof help cut the building's power demands by up to 30 per cent.
- The 'palm court' public plaza is lit at night by fibre-optic lights embedded in the pavement.
- The costly design went through its sixth and final revision - window mullions and structure - during late June 2006.
- In July 2006 the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain was expected to announce its participation in the project.
- Height is 584 feet to top of uppermost floor and 600 feet to the the tip of the architectural highlight mechanical penthouse.
- The 51 enclosed balconies amount to 6,265 sq. ft.
- Ritz Carlton will be the operator of the hotel.


FINAL DESIGN
http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5519/ritzcarltontowerrenderbbh5.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz1.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz2.jpg

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/8403/ritzuq0.png



PREVIOUS DESIGNS:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/provisore/1133WestGeorgia1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/provisore/1133WestGeorgia2.jpg

http://www.dysarch.com/UserImages/WebImages/ProjectImages/1.%20RESIDENTIAL/Market%20High%20Rise/1133%20West%20Georgia/1133-West-Georgia-Drawing.jpg







http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/3.jpg
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7122/1153rw1.png
Tallest tower: Shangri-La Vancouver - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=312368
Second tallest tower: Ritz Carlton Vancouver - future website: http://www.ritzcarltonvancouver.com

The site of Ritz Carlton is an unfinished skeleton of a building, one of Vancouver's worst eyesores:
http://www.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2006/09/488729.jpg


The original nine-storey office building was built sometime in the 1960’s. In 1994, permits were issued to strip the existing office building of its exterior walls and interior finishes and to change the use of floors one through six from office use to a fitness club known as the “Newport Beach Club”. After work began, for unknown reasons, construction was suspended, with cranes, tarps, railings, etc left intact. After a while the permits expired. The site would sit as a vacant and derelict building for many years.

However, in the last few weeks, preparation work for demolition has begun to make way for the new helical tower:

http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/3678/4702111602ebfdf03a9boc8.jpg

Main elevator lobby:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8209/146734266d43012ffb2bix5.jpg

Lobby, looking Southeast:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6626/1470916972364104ee7bfy8.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/8505/10033765107b41ecf09bty8.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/6930/top12gu0.jpg

http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4368/247700926c4f70febecbft6.jpg

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/2568/247701183e8b2726762bht7.jpg








April 26, 2007: Preparation work for demolition finally begins:

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/9026/4732857614a8e34a99ebbr2.jpg

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/1570/473270264377b3db44ebfw7.jpg

Demolition work


June 2007
http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/3886/1133wgeorigiademo2june2ns2.jpg



August 8, 2007 by SFU Vancouver
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/8738/ritzcarltondemonotion2ahm2.jpg


2010 Skyline with Twisting Tower
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8602/futurevanrz7.jpg

Noice.

Awesome post... anyways, is construction for this building on pace to be ready for the 2010 games?

also in the very last posted pic of Vancouver's future skyline rendering, could someone tell me what building that is that's sitting directly next (to the left) of the TD tower? it's sticking right out, kinda whitish

The whitish tower looks like the Hotel Georgia tower.

The placement of that one seems a bit too far to the north or maybe it should be more "behind" Park Place.

isn't it maybe capital residence?

This is a very nice project. I'm glad it will be ready for 2010.

Image from the Canada.com wesbite. I wonder whether the glass will be as mirrored as depicted? Doubt it though. What else is missing from the rendering?
The awning also looks different than was approved by the City - I thought the tower "hits" the sidewalk.

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/2de3e3f6-b472-4835-9142-3ead50913788/ritz-carlton.jpg

Posted by Muzhav84 at SSP - From the Vancouver Sun:

Ritz-Carlton coming to downtown Vancouver

By Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, August 16, 2007

The world-renowned Ritz-Carlton hotel brand will touch down in Vancouver by 2011.

A 127-room Ritz-Carlton hotel will occupy the first 20 floors of a new 58-storey, Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower to be built at 1133 West Georgia.

The $500-million-plus Holborn Group project will also contain 123 luxury condos on the top 38 floors - at prices ranging from $1.4 million to $13 million.

We've been talking to the developer about Vancouver for over four years," Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company senior vice-president Michael Beckley said in an interview. "Toronto and Vancouver have been in our sights for quite a long time, so we're very happy to have such a great location."

U.S.-based Ritz-Carlton operates 63 hotels in 21 countries, but none in Canada. A Ritz-Carlton hotel in Montreal is not officially part of the chain, but it's expected to join the group after its new owners complete a renovation.

A new Ritz-Carlton hotel in Toronto is expected to open in 2009.

Beckley said there are just a few cities in Canada where a high-end Ritz-Carlton hotel will thrive, and Vancouver is clearly one of them. He also said it was important to join forces with a quality developer like Holborn, controlled by Vancouver entrepreneur Simon Lim.

"That's very important to us because we can't put our name on a building and have it fail," Beckley said. "We just can't have that."

The Georgia Street location, between Thurlow and Bute, has been a vacant and derelict Vancouver eyesore for more than a decade. It was originally to be a private members' club and then a strata-title office building in the 1990s, but both projects failed and it has remained a concrete shell ever since.

Holborn Group bought the property from Cadillac Fairview about three years ago. Demolition of the site is under way, and construction of the hotel/condo tower is set to begin early next year, with an early-2011 opening.

The condo portion of the project will be called Residences at Ritz-Carlton, and the entire building will be managed by Ritz-Carlton. Condo owners will have access to hotel amenities like 24-hour room service, a concierge, housekeeping service, and staffing for special entertainment events.

The 1100-block West Georgia area has become a hotbed of upscale boutique hotel projects, with the 77-room Loden planning to open its new property near Melville and Bute this fall, while the 119-room Shangri-La Hotel is scheduled to open near Georgia and Thurlow in September 2008.

Beckley knows there will be a lot of competition in the area, and said that's a big reason why Ritz-Carlton chose to operate a relatively small hotel in Vancouver.

"Wherever we put a Ritz-Carlton, we shoot to be number-one, and it will be possible to achieve that because the hotel isn't that large," he said.

Beckley said bigger hotels require meeting and convention space, which can lead to convention attendees wandering around all over the place.

"That can make it hard to get to the level of sophistication you want," he said.

Beckley said the new hotel will target high-end global business and leisure travelers, and notes the chain has a large database of clients who like to stay at Ritz-Carlton hotels all over the world.

He said the company originally wanted to open the hotel in time for the 2010 Olympics.

"But rather than rush it, we're content to come in behind the event. The Olympics will put Vancouver on the global map, and we'll be out there marketing ourselves during the Olympic year."

Shangri-La Hotel general manager Stephen Darling welcomes the entry of the Ritz-Carlton brand to the Vancouver market.

"We're very respectful of Ritz-Carlton and see them as one of our primary competitors in North America," he said. "When a top-end brand comes to Vancouver, it's going to have a tremendously positive effect on the overall market."

Vancouver realtor Bob Rennie, who is marketing the project, said he's not surprised the western portion of the downtown core has attracted so many new hotel/condo developments.

"It's the only land left in the city," he said. "You just can't find major downtown sites any more. We've been undersupplied in the luxury hotel market so hoteliers have been wanting in."

Rennie said condos in the "hyper luxury" development will range from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet and expects to attract many downsizing local buyers from "signature" neighbourhoods such as Point Grey, Shaughnessy, Kerrisdale and West Vancouver.

Preview events are expected to begin later this month, with sales beginning in October or November.
bconstantineau@png.canwest.com

© Vancouver Sun

^ thanks for posting officedweller! hopefully the glass is mirrored like that....it'll be something different for a needed change in this city. and wow, $500 million to build it?!!!

^^ Ya I got all excited over the mirrored glass...that rendering was awesome!...but knowing this city I wont get my hopes up:ohno:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5519/ritzcarltontowerrenderbbh5.jpg
image ripped from www.vancouversturn.ca

Great scoop MichaelChampion in the BC thread on SSP.

I like the new awning - quite dynamic. Note the Ritz Carlton logo on the wall to the left of the awning.

and wow, $500 million to build it?!!!

Just saw that - that's gotta be wrong.

Beautiful rendering. Love how the balconies are limited to the spine of the spiral.
I would have guessed $400 million to build, but $500 is not totally unreasonable, given ever rising costs.

omg this is going to be amazing! thx for posting!

too bad it couldn't be done by 2010.

W. O. W.

Erickson, the master! :master: :master:

W. O. W.

Erickson, the master! :master: :master:

not just him, but our new city planner Brent Toderian as well.

The rendering looks awesome. Vancouver needs a few more like this to break up the monotony.

Sexed.

wow amazing looking tower,beautiful. This is the nicest twisting tower very sleek and nice.
will this be the best looking or the most impressive modern building in Canada?

I'm not going to open up that can of worms, but I'll say it'll be a strong candidate for 2011 Skyscraper of the Year (SOTY) worldwide.

I can believe $500 million. This one's baaalllllin', dizaammn!!

I'm not going to open up that can of worms, but I'll say it'll be a strong candidate for 2011 Skyscraper of the Year (SOTY) worldwide.

I can believe $500 million. This one's baaalllllin', dizaammn!!
With Burj Dubai,chicago spire,shanghai WFC,WTC newyork,etc. i don't think it will be but it could qualify.

So this tower will cost more than shangri-la,i believe shangri-la's cost was 450 million.
If they make this tower more than 200 meters it would be perfect.
damn i can't wait to visit vancouver in 2010 when everything is completed.

With Burj Dubai,chicago spire,shanghai WFC,WTC newyork,etc. i don't think it will be but it could qualify.
First of all, none of those are supposed to be completed in 2011 (except maybe WTC New York - does it have a date yet?).

Second, I personally don't think any of them are the as nice as The Turn except the Chicago Spire, which I didn't know was also redesigned until just now. It too looks way better than before.

But, yes, it's early still. I was just making a comment.

Skyscraper of the year is not impossible for this Vancouver building. The last render of it is stunning. If architectural merit and beauty are important, the Burj Dubai should not ever be a candidate. It's tall, but not much else. Besides, I doubt skyscraper of the year is a solely a size competition.

Skyscraper of the year is not impossible for this Vancouver building. The last render of it is stunning. If architectural merit and beauty are important, the Burj Dubai is not even a candidate. It's tall, but I doubt skyscraper of the year is a solely a size competition.

I think Burj Dubai is disgusting.....as are most of Dubai's developments. It's a soulless city that is also extremely poorly urban planned and designed.

It's just really unfortunate they couldn't complete it in time for 2010.


The Turn seems to be signalling a new era of architecture for Vancouver. According to raggedy13, a huge 600-foot beyond the scopes of The Turn and Shangri-la is being planned:

The 600 footer makes use of a very unique design to deal with view cone issues, more unique than Shangri-la or the Ritz Carlton. I figure they'll get a sense of how the City feels about it and if they won't touch it they'll revert to one of the shorter designs. It's in an even earlier stage than the Amacon tower though so I expect it to be awhile before we find out much about it.

The site for it is on Burrard and will require a sizable building to be demolished. It will also be a very mixed use development including fairly equal amounts of hotel, office, and residential space with retail at grade and a significant amount of space at the base alloted for a museum (I believe it is intended to be the new home of the Vancouver Museum currently at the Planetarium). It has massive floor plates.




And then there's another 50-storey building to be announced soon, rumoured to be 100% energy self-sufficient with wind turbines at the top of the building.

I think Burj Dubai is disgusting.....as are most of Dubai's developments. It's a soulless city that is also extremely poorly urban planned and designed.

I agree. Very pedestrian unfriendly with everything indoors. Only purpose seems to be to "impress", without regard for human activity or interaction.

It seems a bit tacky, LOL...but the shape is cool...

It seems a bit tacky, LOL...but the shape is cool...

I would love to live in this building.
To me, it is the best project in Van, past, present or proposed.
Only barrier, $1.4 million for a thousand square feet.
I guess I'll just have to walk by and admire it.
Only close competitor is Jameson House.
All other projects pale.

^^Oh no...I meant Burj...LOL

The vancouver tower is wicked!!!!

The projects in Dubai are the most amazing IMO. Dubai gets the crown for this decade's modern architecture.

I can agree with that actually...altho many in the Toronto threads would argue otherwise, LOL. This tower would be ideal for Vancouver....

http://www.gowealthy.com/realestate/uae/dubai/damacheights/images/overview_01.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Emirates_Towers_2005.jpg/450px-Emirates_Towers_2005.jpg

^ the first one is nice, the bottom two are hideous.


Anyhow, there's word of a 650-foot office tower in the works.

Hell no...they are like sculptures...the shape is cool too. Bravo for thinking outside the proverbial box...

Hell no...they are like sculptures...the shape is cool too. Bravo for thinking outside the proverbial box...

they won't age well. they look like concrete boxes. terrible in an urban setting.

Picture updates on demolition progress from Flickr:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1421/1251547844_411256c06d_o.jpg

I agree, the first one is nice. The last two look more like buildings you'd find now being built in China - all about ego and height then actual design. Yuck.

But I've seen this debate between the same people on other threads before so can I kindly get us back on topic by asking, can anyone remind me what the city was able to get out of the developers (ie: parks, galleries, civic space) in order for the approval of this project?

they won't age well. they look like concrete boxes. terrible in an urban setting.

Nope! Vancouver has enough glass to soften the feel of one of these towers. One of these would be less desireable in Toronto with a massive inventory of concrete slabs...

Nope! Vancouver has enough glass to soften the feel of one of these towers. One of these would be less desireable in Toronto with a massive inventory of concrete slabs...

o_o nuh uh. Those are simply ugly.

LOL...

Some updates on the Ritz Carlton project. The site is all bannered up and demolishing is nearly complete. Pictures taken from Flickr, from last week.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1293/1343521349_ecaf82d40a.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1325/1344411792_310973698d.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1270/1343521701_409a136e8b.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1228/1344411610_56d54a29fc.jpg?v=0

MORE NEW RENDERINGS

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz1.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz2.jpg

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/8403/ritzuq0.png

This building is awesome!
This part of Georgia Street is gonna be great in a few years with the Shangri-la and the Ritz Carlton so close from each other!

^^ Ya I got all excited over the mirrored glass...that rendering was awesome!...but knowing this city I wont get my hopes up:ohno:

the rendering is based on approved glass sample provided to the graphics firm which produced the rendering......so it will be pretty close. btw, there is no goal to finish by olympics start. permitting process will commence "shortly" (ie. once the bloody city gets off strike) ; )

Just occurred to me - I wonder whether the twist will lessen the transparency of the glass when viewed? i.e. there's less surface area that you'd be looking at dead-on, and the periphery would be more reflective because it is being viewed at an angle.

******************

BTW - big full page ad for the tower on the back of the first section of the Globe & Mail - Vancouver edition, at least. Starting at $2.25 million......

Yeah, I don't think the glass is actually that mirrored. A lot of the reflectivity comes from the curve.

Destruction is still going on. From today:

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/918/img1998uw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1847/img1991vp1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^ nice!

demo will start to wrap up by end of year (keep in mind there is below grade conrete that still needs to be blown out).

When you look from Georgia street, due to the hoarding, it seems the destruction is almost over. But in fact, from the back, there's still quite a lot to do...
Some pictures taken today (yeah, I always have my camera with me :lol: )

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8511/img2028ix7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7859/img2029vz2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8682/img2031ep8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Love this photo. Has a poetic quality to it.http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7859/img2029vz2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3117/ritzcarltondemolitionanpi0.jpg
The old Shell Building is nearly gone.

Preparing the pit to begin construction of several levels of underground parking and mechanicals may take a little longer than usual because the Ritz-Carlton will use a ground-source heat exchange system. This will provide the tower with heating and cooling but will require the drilling of a couple hundred bore holes for the heatpipes.

My photo ( SFUVancouver in SSP | Vancouverite in SSC )

demo will be slowing down now....excavation will begin in ernest early 2008.

Yesterday:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7186/img3066fd7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Ritz Carlton & Shangri-La:

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/760/img3068pp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

nice, thanks!

thanks for the update. geothermal test holes will follow shortly.

by skymaster
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/1859610029_0e2682e1f7_o.jpg

Progress as of today...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9826.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9828.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9833.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Dec%206%202007/100_9834.jpg

Another price barrier shattered.




Ritz-Carlton penthouse carries $28-million price tag
Yet-to-be built downtown condo smashes lofty price barrier
Bruce Constantineau, The Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, January 08, 2008

VANCOUVER - Downtown Vancouver's luxury condo market has shattered the $20-million price barrier, with a yet-to-be-built penthouse at 1133 West Georgia carrying a price tag of more than $28 million.

That's at least $10 million more than the record $18 million paid by an unnamed U.S. businessman last year for a 48th-floor penthouse in the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia, set for completion by 2011.

The $28-million-plus condo will occupy about 7,400 square feet on the 59th and 60th floors of the Residences at Ritz-Carlton development, also set for occupancy in 2011.

Vancouver condo marketer Bob Rennie said the Ritz-Carlton project was going to have three penthouse suites, but demand for a larger unit prompted developers to combine two suites into one large penthouse.

"We have some serious interest in a large unit, so we decided to put the northwest and northeast penthouses together," he said in an interview. "With people wanting size, it's just a good business decision to put the two together."

Rennie said potential buyers of the luxury condo include "corporate giants," with two local clients and one overseas client already expressing a strong interest.

He said the penthouse's current configuration calls for three bedrooms, two dens, a family room, formal dining room, a "massive" kitchen and butler's pantry.

"But no matter what we pencil in with the architects, whoever buys this is going to add their signature to it," Rennie said.

The asking price for the Ritz-Carlton condo works out to a whopping $3,800 a square foot, compared with $2,400 a square foot for the $18-million Hotel Georgia penthouse.

Rennie said that beyond $2,000 a square foot, prices almost don't matter to some buyers.

"At what point does a Rolls- Royce buyer say he'll only pay $500,000, not $600,000?" he said. "He doesn't. He just pays for what he wants because you're dealing with a very privileged buyer.

"So when you're talking over $20 million, a million dollars is not going to make or break the sale. It's a discretionary purchase. Nobody has to buy a $20-million condo but if they're looking, there are very few to choose from."

Construction of the $500-million Ritz-Carlton project - on Georgia Street between Thurlow and Bute - is slated to begin in March, with completion expected by the summer of 2011.

The site had been a vacant and derelict concrete shell for more than a decade, following failed attempts to develop a private members' club and a strata-title office building. Vancouver-based Holborn Group bought the property from Cadillac Fairview about three years ago.

The development will contain a 127-room Ritz-Carlton hotel and 123 luxury condos. The entire building will be managed by Ritz-Carlton and condo owners will have access to hotel amenities like 24-hour room service, a concierge, housekeeping services and staffing for special entertainment events.

bconstantineau@png.canwest.com

the new penthouse layout is beautiful and takes full advantage of the mountains/stanley park view...having worked on other high end penthouses, by comparison this is the grand-daddy and truly unique.

Any progress of the construction?

Ritz-Carlton penthouse carries $28-million price tag.Yet-to-be built downtown condo smashes lofty price barrier
It's going to be a "Wow" building for sure. In most Canadian cities you could build a decent mid-sized hotel for the price of that penthouse.

Any progress of the construction?

The building has been completely demolished, and the site is now a big shallow hole in the ground.

i wonder what the most expensive property (house or condo) per square foot in canada is? i'd have to imagine that would be it at $3, 800 a square foot.

The building has been completely demolished, and the site is now a big shallow hole in the ground.
Thanks for the answer :)
When are they supposed to start digging for real?

Thanks for the answer :)
When are they supposed to start digging for real?

we are going for an early april start for initial excavation and shoring...stay tuned; this beauty is about to take off!

^^ great! Don't worry, I stay tuned :)

Posted by Leftcoaster:


The excavation for this site will be 75 feet deep!
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz063.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz065.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz066.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz067.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz068.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz070.jpg




And here are the "elegant street lights" the plans call for:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/lamp2.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/lamp.jpg




And a few bonus shots of the front canopy, plaza and rooftop pool.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz034.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz046.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz035.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz043.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i305/mattcav/PresentationCentre-Ritz041.jpg

nice work mr. X...btw the display centre model is the tallest one in western canada at @16ft high (they had a story on it on cbc news when it was being built).

nice work mr. X...btw the display centre model is the tallest one in western canada at @16ft high (they had a story on it on cbc news when it was being built).

16 feet high eh? It just makes you want to go Godzilla on it.

I wonder who built the model - it's not on the Model Shop's website.

I wonder who built the model - it's not on the Model Shop's website.

i'll ask the developer and get back to you on this....

16 feet high eh? It just makes you want to go Godzilla on it.

:lol: hehe......bob rennie would not be impressed.

nice work mr. X...btw the display centre model is the tallest one in western canada at @16ft high (they had a story on it on cbc news when it was being built).

LOL....you guys use the term "tallest west of Toronto" for building models too?

LOL....you guys use the term "tallest west of Toronto" for building models too?

hmmm...i didn't use that term, CBC did. and let's not get into comparing skylines, because architecturally speaking, it's not even close ; )

Damn, check out these original proposals! I find something new on SSP every day.

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/8902/1133westgeorgiastreetscuq4.jpg
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/1672/4288picture010bif6.jpg

They stink of the late 80's. Looks exaclty like this pic I have on my hard drive, it's also a ritz carlton, but from another city I believe... what's with the hotel chain and the splicing business at the top of their towers???
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/9342/30887751lkj8.jpg

That's Toronto's Ritz-Carlton. I have no idea how nicely it will turn out but it's in a cheesy location down by the CN tower. It should be at least 350m IMO and on the southwest corner of Yonge/Bloor in an art deco design.
If it turns out to use exceptional curtainwall I'll be happy with it. However, both the Vancouver/Toronto Ritz Carlton can't compare to the curtainwall on Toronto's approved Four Seasons hotel twins in a good location, Yorkville.

Still no sign of ANY activity. They have some pipes inserted in the ground to help vent methane. I hope they're not having problems with the bank or funding.

I can see tire marks on the site ;)

Still no sign of ANY activity. They have some pipes inserted in the ground to help vent methane. I hope they're not having problems with the bank or funding.

no problems; just minor design changes and the requisite building permit processing time for city.....the pipes are for geothermal testing....

as far as construction start, we will have the excavation and shoring permit in hand by early next week and the boys will roll onto site shortly thereafter!:cheers:

How deep?

I haven't even seen a bear climb the fence and walk across the site yet.

No activity. Not even a bear sighting

I'm wondering what is going on.... I thought construction was suppose to start almost
2 months ago or something..?

I'm wondering what is going on.... I thought construction was suppose to start almost
2 months ago or something..?

permit issued, contractor gearing up for start and aiming for early July commencement.........with a project such as this, there are a lot of ducks to get in a row :lol:

I am saddened to hear the problems with the financing and the project may now be in jeopardy. I thought they had sold all the units but apparently they're nowhere near that yet, so it's understandable the banks are nervous.

Ledcor pulling out is a big shock to me. Apparently Ellis Don has taken over the excavation but there's no contract to build a tower yet.

This could've been such a great twisting tower. What a shame.

I am saddened to hear the problems with the financing and the project may now be in jeopardy. I thought they had sold all the units but apparently they're nowhere near that yet, so it's understandable the banks are nervous.

Ledcor pulling out is a big shock to me. Apparently Ellis Don has taken over the excavation but there's no contract to build a tower yet.

This could've been such a great twisting tower. What a shame.

No need to jump to conclusions....this project is very much alive and moving forward. I wish I could give you all the details to ease your worries but for now just know that Ellis Don is excavating on site and construction is moving ahead. Cheers.

Nothing is moving ahead until they sign a contract to build a tower, not just dig out a hole

At least they're digging
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9899/ritzdq8.jpg

^^ Thanks for the pix, good to have news!
And as you say, at least they're digging, so that's a pretty good news!

indeed! :)

The equipment being used here, excavators, generators, etc, look similar to the monsters that dug out the Shangri-La hole, as is the same company doing that project, Bel Pacific.

I'm interested to know if they anticipate hitting volcanic and precambrian rock further down...

in which case, some blasting! BOOM! That should keep the neighbours happy.

The equipment being used here, excavators, generators, etc, look similar to the monsters that dug out the Shangri-La hole, as is the same company doing that project, Bel Pacific.

I'm interested to know if they anticipate hitting volcanic and precambrian rock further down...

in which case, some blasting! BOOM! That should keep the neighbours happy.

we've already hit rock at -70ft, drilling and blasting to shortly proceed ***cover your ears***:lol:

Yep, they blasted today. Warning horns and then a big boom. Must have hit a hard patch...

someone get a pic of the blasting mats...

Here is a huge update for you guys by me.
Today.

http://i37.tinypic.com/23hlmht.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/2vb0vgk.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2mzgx9w.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/2vmdpuf.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/20k8voh.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/21nfhoy.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2mni3h5.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2wmfc4m.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/2dqkby8.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/11rb3h0.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/24qkeg6.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/hra82s.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/34rhw8g.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/14ukdxz.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/nfifdg.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2mq6io3.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/whbj7q.jpg

Thanks for the update. If they keep on digging I don't see why this project would be cancelled.

^^Its says no stop before the 31st of December.:D

http://i37.tinypic.com/2vb0vgk.jpg

Thanks for the update. If they keep on digging I don't see why this project would be cancelled.

great photos...as i've stated before, this project is NOT getting cancelled ( i hate internet rumours). Holborn wouldn't spend millions digging a hole just for the hell of it. Take it from an insider; it's full "blast" ahead.

^^ You are not orange vest, are you? :D jk.

Will the Ritz-Carlton tower be under construction during the 2010 Winter Olympics?

Went there and checked it out today, it is still a big hole. Don't expect this tower will be done before the 2012 Summer Games. :D

http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/DSC02669.jpg

http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/DSC02667.jpg

Will the Ritz-Carlton tower be under construction during the 2010 Winter Olympics?

yes...and for quite a while afterwards.

Nice tower, Ritz Carlton is HQ in Maryland, U.S.A. and we don't even have a Ritz Carlton, but you guy's can get one. that's BS, but we do have a residences.

Nice tower, Ritz Carlton is HQ in Maryland, U.S.A. and we don't even have a Ritz Carlton, but you guy's can get one. that's BS, but we do have a residences.

i hear you...but Ritz is owned by Marriot and I am sure you have a Marriot in town!

In such an upscale market as Vancouver, why has this one recently been so 'under the radar'? It was launched with fanfare and tarts... ;>)

...It blasted upon the scene (just) to falter and peeter out; or has it? Watchers want eye candy. Builders want results. Buyers want a home.... Let's see some rebar!

In such an upscale market as Vancouver, why has this one recently been so 'under the radar'? It was launched with fanfare and tarts... ;>)

...It blasted upon the scene (just) to falter and peeter out; or has it? Watchers want eye candy. Builders want results. Buyers want a home.... Let's see some rebar!

construction on site is moving forward...you'll see rebar soon enough but keep in mind we are digging and shoring 6 storeys below grade while encountering rock on the way.

pictures anyone?

pictures anyone?

Here (Sept 13):
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s147/excel91/IMAGE_075.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s147/excel91/IMAGE_076.jpg
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s147/excel91/IMAGE_077.jpg

From Excel of SSP with his HTC Touch Diamond =)

Ah thanks, but I've been lurking on SSP and hv seen those long ago. I got excited when someone said rebar, but I guess that's still about a couple months off.

awesome tower.
I love The Ritz.
I am going to have to stay at this hotel when I come to Vancouver.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t290/vancouver_2007/ritz1.jpg

Anymore updates/pictures of the hole? lol

Saw in the news (GlobalBC) that construction is now on hold due to "design changes" and some speculation regarding cutting costs in construction and slower than expected sales (due to the economy). :(

NOOOO! Well at least we got Shangri-la. Considering that boom and bust cycles usually take 10 years, we'll get a nice signature building every decade, haha.

Unfortunately, 50% pre-sold is not enough for the banks to lend now. About 70% is more the new norm.
Here is the ugly from CBC News:

Ritz-Carlton condo project stalls in Vancouver
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 | 8:47 PM ET

The 60-storey Ritz-Carlton tower in Vancouver was scheduled for completion in 2011. (Holborn Developments) Construction of one of Vancouver's most prestigious condominium projects has been halted, but the developer says design changes, not the international credit crisis, are behind the move.

Work halted on the Ritz-Carlton construction site on Friday, and crews did not return on Monday after the weekend, leaving a giant hole in the ground near the corner of West Georgia Street and Bute Street in the heart of Vancouver.

but the building's developer Simon Lim, president of the Holborn Group, told CBC News financial concerns were not behind the decision to put the project on hold.

According to Lim, the work was halted so some design changes to the parkade can be made, and it made no sense to keep crews working. The sales office is open by appointment while those changes are underway, he added.

Work halted on the Ritz-Carlton construction site on Friday, and crews did not return after the weekend. (CBC)
Bob Rennie, who works on marketing the project, said 50 per cent of the condominium units were pre-sold.
"I've just been instructed by Holborn to make it clear that it is a suspension of construction until they go through redesign," Rennie said Tuesday.

Advertising signage around the construction site was missing on Tuesday and construction trailers had been removed from the site. About 50 per cent of the excavation for the foundation of the project had already been completed.

The 60-storey tower, which twists 45 degrees as it rises, is an Arthur Erickson design. The design features a high-end Ritz-Carlton hotel on the lower floors and 123 luxury condos on the upper floors priced between $2.5 million and $10 million, with the penthouse priced at $28 million.

Holborn's next project, The Hills, is now delayed until the new year. The Hills, at Nanaimo Street and Kingsway, is to offer more than 280 units in a 22-storey highrise tower, a 6-storey mid-rise and a few townhomes.

Jennifer Podmore, a real estate market strategy consultant with MPC Intelligence in Vancouver, said confusion and uncertainty are prevailing in the industry.

"You're seeing a lot of people just taking a deep breath and waiting a few months and really studying what's happening with the consumer confidence and what people are saying to figure out where people are going next," she said.

Bad news... I hope it will be built anyway, Vancouver's skyline really need it... Hopefully the redesign will be good...
But I'm not very optimistic... :ohno:

This is why they aren't selling the rest of the units as fast as they should: horrible unit layout.

What does the largest suite on the floor have in common with the smallest... they're the only ones with no balconies.
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6229/floorplatedx1.jpg

At least they are shallow (wide window frontage) with short hallways.
They would work well as hotel suites.

Maybe they should make the 2 bedroom at the top left a 2 bedroom + den + balcony, and then make the 2 bedroom + den a 1 bedroom (that way all two bedrooms have balconies and there's one two bedroom + den with a balcony, and the cheaper 1 bedrooms have no balconies (makes sense). That's an easy change without affecting the beauty of the buildings design.

At least they are shallow (wide window frontage) with short hallways.
They would work well as hotel suites.

The floorplate here is roughly 7000 square feet, which is small for a 600 footer, especially compared to other buildings of similar height.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/9287/rocpauravsrc1py9.jpg
Left: Aura at College Park, Right: Ritz Carlton

I don't think this is a good sign...

http://www.vancouversturn.com/

&

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Default.htm


The website doesn't work anymore and Vancouver isn't on the list anymore for Ritz

website redesign maybe?

I was looking awhile back (aug/sept?) on the ritzcarlton website and couldn't find it then either so i'm not as alarmed. it's not like Vancouver's name disappeared during October or anything.

Not much new from there but here's an update anyway!

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Vanupdate13-11-08016.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Vanupdate13-11-08021.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Vanupdate13-11-08017.jpg

I don't know when this was done but I didn't see it last time I was there:
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Vanupdate13-11-08018.jpg

And finally a picture of the Shangri-La from just behind the RC site(mostly on topic...):
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Vanupdate13-11-08022.jpg

That's all, folks!

Looks like their website is up again.

I so hope this tower goes up, I might be moving to Vancouver soon, and this beaut will just finish things off nicely until the next cycle begins.

It is very strange that it is not on the Ritz Carleton website, however.

It is on the Ritz website look under real estate, then residences.

^^ so, is this to be strictly a residential building, with no hotel?

It's supposed to be hotel up to the 26floor now and residences from 27-60. The key words are supposed to be. What will acutally happen who knows, but we should learn shortly.

let us pray for vancouver this happens LOL
& if it doesn't... well lets hope they build a
taller building in its place?

^^ Amen!

Guys, I'm not trying to start a rumour, but there's been discussion for a few weeks over on UrbanToronto that the Ritz in Van has been canceled. Sorry, place on hold I should say. If I recall correctly, there was mentions of it a couple times in (Toronto) local media. No idea where they got that information. Is there any truth to this? Has anyone tried calling to see if it's still a "go"? It sure is a pretty building.

^^ It's on hold for sure. Cancelled? I doubt it. The other site has more discussion on the subject, so if you're interested...

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=138004&page=26

^^ It's on hold for sure. Cancelled? I doubt it. The other site has more discussion on the subject, so if you're interested...

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=138004&page=26


where does it say its on hold on SSP?:badnews:

Someone should tell the contractors that are excavating that the project is on hold, they must not have received the memo.

Oh, ok. I recall seeing something on the news about things being shut down. The thread seems pretty vague about actual work being done on site. I guess things have started up again. That's wierd. Maybe I was thinking of Jameson House.

The reason it was shut down was because the Ritz Carlton contractors punched rebar into the soil under the neighbouring office tower - thereby trespassing on the neighbouring property. There's a lawsuit over the issue and the shoriong system for the parking levels needs to be redesigned so that it doesn't use shotcrete and anchor rods.

The workaround is pretty interesting, I don't have a photo so I'll try and describe it.

|...............|
|...............|
|...............|---------
|............|=
|-------- |

Where the other building's foundation ends they have intented the parkade back about 3m and have instead now down an additional partial level to compensate for the indentation.

Hope the ascii picture works. spaces don't work had to use periods to show the hole.

^^
j, so, are you saying that the lawsuit is settled and that this indentation is the agreed upon remedy to the trespass issue?
So, can we conclude that re-design is done and work to continue?

^^ That's it? only 5 levels of parking?

5 levels of parking on a tiny site, I can smell trouble.

It is reassuring to think it is just a temporary glitch and will probably be back in construction soon.

*l* that picture isn't to scale, besides 5 levels of parking is alot, it's a rather large site with a slender tower, there are ~123 condo units and around the same number of hotel units, so you could make do with ~400 spots and still give each condo owner 2 stalls. I don't know the specs for this towers parkade.

My Christmas wish...

http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/2054244464_451ffe2f8a_m-1.jpg

http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/2053465433_2d8c152005.jpg

photos by Ahmad Kavousian.

I'm hoping this baby goes up.......keep all your limbs crossed for it.

I'm hoping this baby goes up.......keep all your limbs crossed for it.It is. At least that's what I gather. :nuts: Good lord I'm confused. :lol:

Let's assume it has just been prorogued for a short while! ;)

www.vancouversturn.com is back up again

Empty excavation. Duck pond better than stump?
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/9400/dsc09134ud1.jpg

i like how they sort of dug under the neighbouring tower. Hopefully the foundations under 1133 W Georgia gives way and the building crashes into the hole, so we'll get 2 new towers! Sigh.
http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/3296/dsc09140wi2.jpg

We figure that the injunction by the neighbouring property owner for trespass resulted in Holborn having to redesign the excavation and parkade to allow for the ledge shown. That ledge allows the tie-back rods for the levels below to angle backwards and remain wholly on Holborn property (so as to continue work without further trespassing occurring) - but it eats up space in the parkade - hence the "redesign" of the parkade.

i like how they sort of dug under the neighbouring tower. Hopefully the foundations under 1133 W Georgia gives way and the building crashes into the hole, so we'll get 2 new towers! Sigh.
:lol:

I heard the project is now officially back on track, and electricity has been restored to the site... is this true?

^^ There was a bit of a lull period where the parkade needed to be redesigned, but that was it as far as I know. I'm not really the one to ask. Seems like they're still excavating, so things are moving forward.

Speaking of electricity, I think some needs to be restored to this forum.

Couldn't find the right forum to ask this question, but why are the foundations of skyscrapers in Vancouver very deep? And why do the skyscrapers have to have more than 3 underground floors?

^^ dleung can give you a good answer cause he loves digging.. :D

Sorry, some dumbass with the same name, appearance, and address as me misplaced my camera last night.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/099.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/100.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/101.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/102.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/104.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb295/van-arch/Update%2012th%20Feb/098.jpg

^^ I've been waiting patiently...:D

Oh, oh. From the Sun:



Inactivity sparks speculation Ritz-Carlton project is dead
By Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
February 23, 2009

Prolonged inactivity at the $500-million-plus downtown Vancouver Ritz-Carlton hotel-condo project has fuelled speculation the ambitious development is all but officially dead.

Holborn Group president Joo Kim Tiah said buyers who purchased condos in the project will receive letters this week updating them on the project’s status but wouldn’t provide further details.

“The buyers take precedence over the media and I don’t want them reading something in the paper before they hear it from me,” he said in an interview Monday.

Construction of the 1133 West Georgia site was halted last fall — supposedly to give Holborn Group time to redesign the parkade portion of the 60-storey, Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower. But the subsequent global recession and downturn in the Metro Vancouver real estate market have combined to put several proposed condo projects on temporary or permanent hold.

About half of the 123 Ritz-Carlton condos were sold in the tower that was scheduled for completion in 2011. Condo prices ranged from about $1.4 million to $28 million — a record Vancouver condo asking price for a two-level unit that was to occupy 7,400 square feet of living space. A 127-room luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel was supposed to occupy the first 20 floors of the building, with condos taking up the top 40 floors.

When Ritz-Carlton announced plans to enter the Vancouver hotel market about 18 months ago, company vice-president Michael Beckley said the hotel chain had considered the Vancouver market for several years.

“Toronto and Vancouver have been in our sights for quite a long time, so we’re very happy to have such a great location,” he said at the time.

Ritz-Carlton was to manage the entire building, with the condo portion to be called Residences at Ritz-Carlton. Condo owners were to have access to hotel amenities like 24-hour room service, a concierge, housekeeping service, and staffing for special entertainment events.

Holborn Group bought the West Georgia property from Cadillac Fairview about four years ago and demolished a partially built concrete structure that sat derelict for years.

The site is essentially an empty hole now following a decade of failed attempts to build a private members’ club and a strata-title office building.

Shit!! :(

Heard speculation about this on BNN as well. Not a good sign. :(

Yup -NOW officially dead - after a number of previoulsy rumoured deaths.

Half-billion dollar downtown Vancouver Ritz-Carlton project dead

By Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun
February 24, 2009 6:38 PM

Going, going, gone.

The half-billion-dollar Ritz-Carlton hotel-condo project in downtown Vancouver is officially dead — a victim of the global recession.

Buyers who purchased luxury condos in the 60-storey tower that was supposed to be built at 1155 West Georgia are getting a letter this week telling them the project has been cancelled.

The letter from lawyers representing developer Holborn Group states that "worldwide economic turmoil" has had a significant negative impact on the sale of units in the project, as it has with most other Metro Vancouver developments.

"As a result, sales have not met the developer's expectations," the letter states. " … We hereby give you notice that the vendor cancels and terminates the contract due to the fact that the vendor has not entered into binding contracts of purchase and sale for at least 75 strata lots in the development.

"As a result of this termination, the contract is now at an end."

Holborn had sold about 62 of the 123 condos in the Arthur Erickson-designed twisting tower. Buyers will get their deposits back.

Condo prices in the project — called The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton — ranged from $1.4 million to $28 million.

Vancouver realtor Bob Rennie, who marketed the project, said the developer had the right to cancel the project if fewer than 75 units were sold by the end of this month.

"It was a tough decision for them because there were sales in place, but the 75-sale threshold was out there and they had to decide," he said. "They'd need to see a lot of strength in the luxury market to proceed with a project like that now."

Construction on the West Georgia site was halted last fall, supposedly to give Holborn Group time to redesign the parkade portion of the project.

But months of inactivity on the property, combined with a global recession and a slowing Metro Vancouver real estate market, prompted widespread speculation the development would not be resurrected.

A 127-room luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel was supposed to occupy the first 20 floors of the building, with condos taking up the top 40 floors.

It would have been only the third Ritz-Carlton-branded hotel in Canada if it had opened in 2011 as planned. There is a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Montreal and a new Toronto Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to open next year.

Ritz-Carlton was to manage the entire building, with condo owners having access to hotel amenities like 24-hour room service, a concierge, housekeeping service and staffing for special entertainment events.

Renowned Canadian interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg was to design the upscale hotel, with company co-founder Glenn Pushelberg envisioning a West Coast hotel that would be "sophisticated and a little bit glamorous."

The $28-million price tag for a 7,400-square-foot penthouse on the 59th and 60th floors of the tower was believed to be a record asking price for a Vancouver penthouse — $10 million more than the $18 million paid by a U.S. businessman for a 48th-floor penthouse in the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia, set to open in 2011.

Rennie said the West Georgia site, between Bute and Thurlow, still represents an excellent development opportunity in the right market conditions.

"It's one of the most amazing sights left downtown," he said. "We just don't have a lot of properties like that left."

Holborn Group bought the West Georgia property from Cadillac Fairview about four years ago and demolished a partially built concrete structure that sat derelict for years.

The site has had more than its fair share of development bad luck, after a decade of failed attempts to build a private members' club and a strata-title office building.

bconstantineau@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Over on SSP there was a discussion on the original design - managed to find the proposal rejected by the Urban Design Panel before the Erickson twisty design was developed.

The original "vase" design was rejected by the Urban Design Panel because it didn't meet the "highest architectural standards" requirement under the higher buildings policy. Needless to say, that involves a lot of discretion.
I didn't mind the original design, although the twisty one is much better.

The Melville was also rejected at its first and second design stages (both more classical in nature (the first very off the shlef calssical, the second with "lanterns" at the top) until the "sail" design was accepted (which I'm not that keen on because of the execution with transparent glass).

I agree that the biggest "fear" for this site is that it'll be developed with a short building that doesn't take advantage of it being one of the only sites in Vancouver that can realistically go to 600 ft.

Googled it and actually found Phesto's old pics of the original rejected design:
It's much easier to see where the view cone cuts across the site (the diagonal lines up with Shangri-La's diagional facade)

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/982/1133westgeorgiastreetschu8.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/221/4288picture003bk0.jpg

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/712/4288picture002fr1.jpg

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/3457/4288picture005or6.jpg

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6070/4288picture006gj5.jpg

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6089/4288picture010boq5.jpg

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/9375/4288picture011bkw6.jpg

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/6905/4288picture013lp3.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/1667/4288picture015ua6.jpg

Damn! Feel like one of the love ones just died...:cry:


Thanks for posting this, Office!

I guess we can try and see a small light in the tunnel. Perhaps when times become better, policies towards high restrictions in downtown will have been relaxed, and maybe a taller building can be built on the site.

Bad news, but that's not such a big surprise... Too bad for Vancouver, this tower would have been a great addition to the skyline.
Hopefully a new project will arrive soon. An office tower would be welcome!

So georgia street will remain one rainstorm away from collasping into a 7-storey hole?

^^ Probably. So instead of an abandoned half-done building we now have a big empty hole. That plot of land is cursed I tell you!

Just heard, ouch. This was a nice looking project too.

Deasine, you should probably lock and archive this thread.

Too painful to keep having it pop up.

A new thread can be started, hopefully soon, when the lot is sold or a new project/developer for this site is announced.

Ritz-Carlton RIP.

I can do it because it's official. If any news becomes available of a re-start pm one of the mods, we can open it back up.

"It would have been only the third Ritz-Carlton-branded hotel in Canada if it had opened in 2011 as planned. There is a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Montreal and a new Toronto Ritz-Carlton is scheduled to open next year."

the Ritz Carleton in Montreal has no affiliation with the Ritz Carleton chain, but once was and still has the right to call itself that. There is no mention of it on their website.

OK, since I feel partly responsible for killing the old thread on this "canceled" project, I feel obligated to bring it back, as there has been some news that the project may go forward, albeit in a different format, probably with a smaller hotel component run by a different operator, and, smaller, but cheaper, condo units.

The exterior Arthur Erickson design and height are supposedly to remain the same.

Construction to start in the fall or early next year. :banana:

The thread title can be updated once the new project is given a "name".

This from CBC news:


Vancouver developer considers condo relaunch
Wed Jul 8, 2:42 PM


VANCOUVER (CBC) - A Vancouver developer's plan to resume construction on a luxury high-rise building where work stopped last fall may be another sign that Vancouver's real estate market is picking up steam again.


Last October when the global economy tanked, construction on the six-star hotel and condominium tower on West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver ground to a halt, leaving a giant hole in the ground. By spring buyers were given their deposits back.


The project was one of several canceled across Metro Vancouver last fall and winter because of the real estate downturn.


But in June real estate sales in Vancouver were up 75 per cent over the previous year and prices were picking up as buyers took advantage of record low interest rates.


On Wednesday Joo Kim Tiah, the president of Holborn Group, told CBC News he is hoping construction of a more modest four-star version of the Ritz-Carlton project could begin this fall.


"If not the fall, then by early next year we will begin construction again, so that project is going to move ahead," said Tiah.


It is not clear yet if the new design would still carry the Ritz-Carlton name.

"...Last October when the global economy tanked, construction on the six-star hotel and condominium tower on West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver ground to a halt..."

Say what?

Say what?

Some hotels claim six and a couple even seven stars. From Wiki:

Six star hotels
Some members of the hospitality industry have claimed a six star rating for their operation. One example is the Crown Macau, on Taipa Island in the Chinese territory of Macau. Another is the St. Regis Shanghai Hotel in China, The Oriental Bangkok in Thailand. Other examples include the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and the Al Husn Hotel at Shangrila's Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa Hotel in Oman.[2] The Palazzo Versace[3] on the Gold Coast in Australia is described by Australian Traveller magazine as meriting "six star" rating though level of rating is not used in Australia.[4] The under development hotel Mansions of the World in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires has also been announced as a six star hotel project. [5]. Seoul Park Hyatt in South Korea is also a six star hotel.[citation needed] The hotel Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island also claims that title.


Seven star hotels
There are only two hotels in the world that claim to hold a "seven star" ranking; the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates was the first, followed by Town House Galleria in Milan, Italy.[6] There are a few other seven star hotels under construction. These include the Laucala Island in Fiji, Morgan Plaza to be finished in Beijing, China, the Flower of the East under construction in Kish, Iran,[7] The Centaurus Complex under construction in Islamabad, Pakistan[8] and the Pentominium, the Grand Chola in Chennai (India), a complex planned for Metro Manila and The Royalties Castle for Davao City in the Philippines.[9]


Controversy
The expansion beyond the traditional "five star" rating has led to commentators questioning if it is simply more puffery or sales hype.

Thanks for the update, Dr.T!

The six star reference would indicate the journalist is not familiar with the five star system. I think the Ritz hotels going up around the world have all been satisfied with the traditional five star ranking system. :lol:
note: all 6 and 7 star hotels have bestowed the ranking upon themselves. To me it is like insisting a figure skater should be awarded 12 points out of a possible 10.

six star?weird:ohno:

Just out of curiosity, which is the hotel in Vancouver considered to be the "best"?

all 6 and 7 star hotels have bestowed the ranking upon themselves. To me it is like insisting a figure skater should be awarded 12 points out of a possible 10.

The difference between 6 and 7 star is they will provide you the same girl free of charge during your stay at the 6 stars hotel or you can have different girls every night at the 7 stars..

^^ Does a person have to accept them? :)

You can have a guy or guys if you want! :D

Just out of curiosity, which is the hotel in Vancouver considered to be the "best"?

I think Sutton Place is traditionally the best one here. Other 5-star ones... Pan Pacific, Fairmont waterfront, Wedgewood hotel, Four Seasons, and our beloved Shangri-la.

Are you sure that we have 6 five star hotels in Vancouver? I thought we only have one or two.

If Holborn looses the Ritz Carlton operator and makes the units smaller, they probably will not get many of the 62 big buck buyers that they had previously signed on to roll over their contracts into this new project.

If they plan to start construction by the fall, they will have to pre-sell 60 to 70% of all the units in a month or two. That was easy in 2007. In 2009, I don't know. Only way will be to have a really nice project at very reasonable sale prices.

They'll have to come out with a media hyped, "first come, first served", "units will sell in a day", "expect a waiting line", "cops standing by to keep order", "big name Realtors given first place in line", first day opening and hope that they sell out in a hurry. We'll hope Mr. Rennie gets on the ball and that we have an announcement of first day of sales soon. We'll have to keep our collective fingers crossed for success here.

To refresh our memories (pic from the Vancouver Sun):

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/6647/1153wgeorgiaerikson.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/1153wgeorgiaerikson.jpg/)

In any case, the issue of stars aside, it would be extremely cool to see this project go full steam ahead. The location is perfect, as well.

I think Sutton Place is traditionally the best one here. Other 5-star ones... Pan Pacific, Fairmont waterfront, Wedgewood hotel, Four Seasons, and our beloved Shangri-la.

I don't know how many star WedgeWood hotel has but this is one of the best,food are so good,not too big,like a boutique hotel.my aunt stayed there whenever she was in town.

I was never really a fan of the Ritz Carlton. It blends in too much with every thing around, and it looks like its leaning over.

I was never really a fan of the Ritz Carlton. It blends in too much with every thing around, and it looks like its leaning over.

Spoolmark, it is the beauty of mathematics come to life!

Arthur Erickson, working with architects MCMP, designs a slim, triangular shaped glass tower which appears to twist 45 degrees from bottom to top, calling it "hyperbolic paraboloids".
New "twisted" redesign unanimously approved by UDP as "stunning, evocative, and beautiful, complementing Living Shangri-La".

Hey, Doc T, you going to buy the penthouse??! :D

If so, let us know and we can all come over for the house warming!

Hey, Doc T, you going to buy the penthouse??! :D

I'll ask if it is legal for me to buy just the Butler's Pantry. :lol:

I was never really a fan of the Ritz Carlton. It blends in too much with every thing around, and it looks like its leaning over.

I think it's as sexy as an all-glass tower can look (though as a city we desperately need some new textures for buildings). In the very least it's good filler, ROFL. Just kidding, it actually drives me nuts when people defend ugly new buildings by calling it "filler", or that it blocks views of yet even uglier buildings.

Spoolmark, it is the beauty of mathematics come to life!

I'm aware. I know it would be a gorgeous building if it ever got built, buildings tend to look 10x better than the renders

Refresh more our memories...:)


http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/2053465433_2d8c152005.jpg


http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/2054244464_451ffe2f8a_m-1.jpg

More......



http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/ritz2.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/ritzuq0.png


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/1133WestGeorgia1.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/1133WestGeorgia2.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/futurevanrz7.jpg

^^
Wow, those renderings blow me away!
Cool, cool, cool, YF!
Sexy and only 14m shorter than Shangri-La.
Thanks for digging those up! That presentation center model is pretty awsome as well.


Another news blip from the 1130 Radio website:

Condo-Hotel Restart?
Ritz-Carlton project on hold since February
Richard Dettman VANCOUVER (NEWS1130)
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 3:12 pm

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - A downtown Vancouver condo and hotel project that was halted in the market slump could be coming back to life in a less-grand form. The developer of the 600-foot Ritz-Carlton put the project on hold in February as others were cancelled.

Holborn Group President and CEO Joo Kim Tiah says "the project is going forward", but will be different inside the spiralling tower of almost 60 storeys, designed by the late Arthur Erickson. The plan now is for a smaller hotel and more condos, with units that are smaller and more affordable to suit the current market.
Tiah adds it might not be under the same banner. The Ritz-Carlton was originally at the top of the market: one pre-sale was for $28 million. Tiah hopes construction can begin this fall, but it could be affected by the City of Vancouver wanting construction halted for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He says he doesn't want to wait until next March to begin construction.

Two tallest buildings will be standing side by side....



http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/4288picture011bkw6.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/4288picture006gj5.jpg


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/4288picture005or6.jpg

http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/4288picture011bkw6.jpg

ROFL @ how the ritz in Toronto practically used the version rejected by the UDP here:
http://urbantoronto.ca/picoftheday/renderings/RitzTorontoRender.jpg

Actually, I wouldn't mind the old version..

You can have a guy or guys if you want! :D

:lol::lol::lol:

I'll ask if it is legal for me to buy just the Butler's Pantry. :lol:


I've got an offer in on the door knocker....

ROFL @ how the ritz in Toronto practically used the version rejected by the UDP here:



It was the same hotel chain, and of the same era as the T.O. one, I imagine they planned to build the one in Vancouver similar to the one they were using here as a kind of unified corporate look.



Seeing as it is now a completely different developer, and they are starting with a hole in the ground they might not use the old design at all. and might choose
to go with something completely current. I would love to see a building go up with a stone finish, like limestone... What is the history of the "Holborn Group"? What kind of projects have they done?

Seeing as it is now a completely different developer, and they are starting with a hole in the ground they might not use the old design at all.

What is the history of the "Holborn Group"? What kind of projects have they done?

Actually it is the same developer, they're just taking a different approach to make the units more realistically priced and salable.

They will have to build the "twisted" Erickson design and keep most of the exterior elements as before, or go back to the lengthy process of putting a new design through city approval. They may negotiate some minor changes, but I'm sure will avoid putting a new design back to through the review committee at all costs.

Holborn has done a few local projects, but not anything really high profile. I believe that their parent company is part of a big Hong Kong conglomerate finance group.

By dleung



http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/lggod3vz9.jpg

^ I stand corrected

^^ You're hard to please.. :D


Hope you like this one, also done by dleung. (Who else!)


http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/23975221136471f33758bcrv8.jpg

oh,I can my building in this pic,niceeeeeeeeeeee:banana:

dleung is amazing at these....great work.

I like the design and I hope ours don't get as crazy as this:

http://globaldubai.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/10026_rotate-4main.jpg

Hope you like this one, also done by dleung. (Who else!)
http://i452.photobucket.com/albums/qq248/le_thieu/23975221136471f33758bcrv8.jpg

^^

This is dleung's fanciful 400m supertall version. :lol:

^ we are so going to have that one~

I can guaranty that a 400m or taller tower would put Vancouver on the world map even better than what the Olympic would do for our city. :)

I can guaranty that a 400m or taller tower would put Vancouver on the world map even better than what the Olympic would do for our city. :)

nah,I think it looking weird if we have 400 m building in downtown,look at the render,looks like a 6.3 tall guy in the club for short people only,by the way westend buildings looking from above kind of ugly.

^^ In this case, lets have two more 350m, and three more 300m towers around the 400m supertall monster.

just a question here.does anyone know that Vancouver have some sort policy to limit the height of new buildings?if it does,sucks a big time.:bash:

^^ Yes, Vancouver does has the view cones law to prohibit the developers to build any thing that would block the views of our beloved mountains. :(

IMO I think a massive city skyline would be more pleasant to look at:) but I guess that is why I am on this forum..

After the old proposal was cancelled, I don't even feel like I want a 600-foot skyscraper on its site. If a new skyscraper is proposed for this site, cut its height down to 520 feet.

Lots of new info in this article, including that Holborn will apply for additional height!
From The Journal of Commerce:




Work to resume on Arthur Erickson-designed Vancouver highrise
RICHARD GILBERT
staff writer

Construction of an Arthur Erickson-designed luxury hotel and condo project is set to resume after the developer rejigged the plans.

It was originally developed as the Ritz-Carlton Vancouver, but excavation work on the $500 million twisting tower was halted in October 2008.

The worldwide recession and the softening of the local housing market forced developer, Holborn Group to develop a new building strategy.

“After we looked at all the options, we realized the process would have been much longer if we had designed a new building,” said Joo Kim Tiah, president of Holborn Group.

“The fastest way to have everything move was to keep the structure and make the building more efficient. It hit us that this project was very important to Vancouver, Canada and the architectural society of the world.”

The World-renowned Canadian architect died in May of this year.

In a career spanning more than five decades, Erickson’s vision built landmark structures such as Robson Square, Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Embassy in Washington.

“It would have been a shame if the tower did not go ahead,” said Tiah. “It is exciting to do something like this. We aspire to be a company that can build an iconic landmark in Vancouver.”

The original 58-storey project included 123 luxury condos on the top 38 floors and 127 hotel rooms on the first 20 floors.

The condos were priced from $1.4 million to $13 million.

“We were stuck in a situation in which we had a site with a hole that was not doing anyone any good,” said Tiah.

“It took a lot to maintain the site and we had interest payments as well. We had to find the quickest way to get the building going again.”

Holborn’s new strategy is to design the building to appeal to a lower segment of the housing market.

“Before we had 30 to 40 different floor plans and the plumbing wasn’t stacked,” Tiah explained.

“Now we are going with smaller floor plans and a better price point. We are getting rid of columns in the rooms to provide more space and using a shear wall system.”

Tiah said another way to lower the cost of the building is to replace ten inch slabs with eight inch slabs, which is the industry standard.

“It will still be an Arthur Erickson design and will still be a twisting tower,” he said.

“We will not be doing any changes to the exterior of the building. Most of the changes will be to the interior. We are asking for more height and this would allow more residential density. We will also change the interior layout and the specs of the finishes.”

The commercial density of the project will remain the same.

According to Tiah, Holborn has finished its revised plans for the highrise.

They will apply for rezoning at the end of the month.

“We have already talked to the City of Vancouver planning department and they are supportive of the changes,” he said

However, it still must be approved by council.

“There will be a public hearing in November and, if it all goes well, we could have approval for the changes by the end of the year,” he said.

Holborn is working on both the approval for the project and the permits at the same time.

Therefore, the company hopes to get the permits for the project in November as well.

Negotiations are currently taking place to reach an agreement with Ritz-Carlton hotels for the commercial aspect of the project.

Tiah said he hopes construction will restart early next year, but this may not be possible because the city doesn’t want construction work taking place during the Olympics.

This means that work may not resume until after the Olympics in March.

When it does get underway, construction will begin with the underground parking, which could take two years to finish.

If all goes well, the rest of the building will be completed in four years.

Link to article:
http://www.joconl.com/article/id35035/heavyequipment

^^:banana: Thanks for the update! I hope they will get the height they want.

Thanks to our insider with the city, jlousa :applause:

He posted the application for more height over at SSP:

For all of you that have been craving details, this is what Holborn is going to the city with. No more speculating. Sorry I don't have time to provide any insight I've been tied up the last couple of days and will be thru the long weekend. Enjoy.

Community Area: Downtown
Status: Proposed
Location: 1151 W GEORGIA ST
Zoning: CD-1 (446)
Application Date: 2008/09/01 No: 2009033
Related Info: CD-1 (446) By-law
Description: To amend CD-1 (446) as follows:
- Section 5.2: increase permitted density from 17.74 to 20.80 (80,000 sq. ft.); and
- Section 6.1: increase the permitted height from 178m (554 ft.) to 181.6m (595.75 ft.), as measured to the top of the roof slab above the uppermost habitable floor, and from 182.9m (600 ft.) to 188m (616 ft.) as measured to the top of mechanical appurtenances and decorative roof.

Posted: 2009/09/02

188m! Getting 5 more meters! Nice!

I love it!

Great news!

The old structure before it was demolished....




http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/473270264_377b3db44e.jpg


http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/473285761_4a8e34a99e.jpg
photos by jmv, flickr.

am I invited too? :baeh3:

( according to some forumers I am a lil bit creepy, but please believe me, I got a bubbly persoanlity)

to the party of Dr. T off course, when he buys the penthouse?

oh btw, according to Yellow Fever girls are free!

The old structure before it was demolished....
http://i471.photobucket.com/albums/rr71/yellowfever_2008/473285761_4a8e34a99e.jpg
photos by jmv, flickr.

Yeah, that old building was damp and moldy. Very creepy. And it was, I believe, the second attempt to redevelop this site. So now we are on number three. Some say the site is jinxed.

..oh and BTW, CharlotteJ, you know that you'll have an automatic invite to any SCC forumer meet ups!

oh btw, according to Yellow Fever girls are free!

I'm FREE too! :D

Well, hopes for more "affordable" units in this building fading: :ohno:

link at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/plans-for-ritz-carlton-resurrected-as-market-shows-signs-of-life/article1286291/

Mr. Tiah would not speculate on final prices, but conceded that no unit would be available for less than $1-million.

ouch!

way too expensive! but what could one expect, that is New York, ... OEPS!!!:shocked::tongue4: I mean VANCOUVER! ...

hey, good news, they are going to make it slightly taller than expected huh?

Looks like they might rework the design.

A sign of the times — Ritz-Carlton back on track

By Fiona Anderson, Vancouver Sun
September 14, 2009

The new condominium market seems to be alive and well in Vancouver with the Ritz-Carlton on West Georgia Street the latest in a string of mothballed projects that are coming back to life.

Construction of the planned 60-floor Ritz-Carlton — with a 127-room luxury hotel occupying the first 20 floors and 123 condominiums above — started in March 2008, but was halted last fall as the economy nose-dived.

In February, only half of the condos, which ranged in price from $1.4 million to $28 million, had been sold and the project was shelved.

But earlier this month, the project’s developer, Holborn Group, applied to the city to add height to the current design and increase the density of the project, Holborn’s president and CEO Joo Kim Tiah said.

Tiah hopes to have approval in place by the end of the year so that construction can start again in March 2010.

Whether the Ritz-Carlton will still be part of the plan is up in the air, though the two groups have agreed to work together to see whether the building can be re-engineered to make it viable, said Michael Beckley, senior vice-president of development with Ritz-Carlton in Canada.

The building design — a twisting tower by Arthur Erickson — is “stunning,” Beckley said. But “the space wastage was incredible.”

So the two groups need to find a way to redesign the building to increase both the number of hotel rooms and the number of condominiums, “without taking away Erickson’s stamp on it,” Beckley said.

At the same time, Ritz-Carlton has certain brand standards that have to be met at every hotel bearing its name.

“But if we can make it work, we want to make it work,” Beckley said.

Other projects once on hold have been taken off the back burner to become sizzling successes.

Ninety per cent of the units in Richards were sold in 45 days this spring and summer after being temporarily put on hold, Tracie McTavish, president of Rennie Marketing said. It was the first presale in a year and he called it “a roaring success.”

Next up for Rennie Marketing is Maynards Block False Creek Flats, which will come to market in the next two to four weeks, McTavish said.

In July, Concord Pacific had even hotter success, selling more than 230 units in its Cosmo project in under three days.

And construction at Jameson House on West Hastings Street is also back on track now that the developer’s financial woes have been soothed and a new partner, Bosa Properties, has joined the team.

Like Richards and Cosmo, Jameson House is lowering its prices, even for those who had already committed through presales.

But lower prices may not be here for long.

“Prices are coming back to where they were and the activity is definitely there again,” McTavish said. “It’s a very healthy market.”

fionaanderson@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Thanks for the update.

Happy to have RC hotel back.

Yeah, that old building was damp and moldy. Very creepy. And it was, I believe, the second attempt to redevelop this site. So now we are on number three. Some say the site is jinxed.

..oh and BTW, CharlotteJ, you know that you'll have an automatic invite to any SCC forumer meet ups!

I was on the Ritz just a half block away, which is where the street caved in, the crane broke down multiple times, a rebar guy almost got ran over by a huge boulder as it was being lifted out, another rebar guy fell 10' on his back, and the job took 1 year longer than it should have...

we always joked it was on an old indian burial ground. It may have extended to the Ritz-Carlton site...

anything new on this building?

As far as I know the construction will start after the Olympics!

So, what is the hew height then?

^^ See post #221.

http://www.dailycommercialnews.ca/cgi-bin/top10.pl?rm=show_top10_project&id=e2b46335ad562120a59ffbebf03b6727a5bdcb28&projectid=7245808&region=national

CONDOMINIUM APARTMENT, HOTEL, COMMERCIAL TOWER Proj: 7245808-10
Vancouver, Greater Vancouver RD BC NEGOTIATED/START
Residences at The Ritz Carlton (Twisted Tower), 1133, 1151 & 1153 W Georgia St, V6E 3G4
$160,000,000 est
Start: June, 2010 Complete: December, 2013
Note: The rezoning amendment has been approved and some re-design is underway. Various legal and business arrangements have yet to be finalized prior to the formal re-start of construction. At this time there is no confirmation as to whether this will be still proceed as a Ritz Carlton flag development. Further update in late May/June 2010.
Website: www.vancouversturn.com. Yabu Pushelberg is the interior designer for the hotel portion of the tower. Budget is unreleased.
Project: steel pile foundation, cast-in-place concrete structural frame, structural steel frame, other roof deck, fuel fired heating system, package air conditioning/heat pump system, 02220; building demolition, 02230; site clearing, 02315; excavation, 02935; landscape, 03210; reinforcing steel, 03310; structural concrete, 03520; perlite concrete decks, 05120; structural steel, 08800; glazing systems, 08970; structural glass curtain walls, 12400; interior decorating, 130 13020; hotel and dormitory units, 13150; swimming pools, 13630; solar collector components, 13850; fire alarm, 13910; fire sprinkler, 15170; swimming pool and fountain piping, 16580; lighting accessories, solar roof tube heating; construction of a condo/hotel tower; 117+ condo units & approx 176 hotel units (to be confirmed); office & related commercial space of approx 22,000 sq m; proposed 929 sq m of indoor amenity space (for residents & hotel guests). The structure will be unique in that the tower will give the illusion of a 45 degree twist from bottom to top. There will be a small public plaza & palm court which will be covered in glass to give it a very open feel. Balconies and roof terraces are defined and protected by horizontal and vertical extensions of the curtain wall glazing of the tower; five levels u/g prkg; This project will be a LEED Silver standard.
Scope: 50,000 m²; 66 storeys; 6 storeys below grade; 293 units; parking for 400 cars; 2,426 m²
Development: New
Category: Apartment bldgs; Hotels, motels; Retail, wholesale services; Commercial offices
First report Tue Feb 15, 2005. Last report Thu Oct 22, 2009.
This report Mon Mar 15, 2010.

wooow
i wish they build it much faster

So, there is still going to be a Ritz Carlton hotel as part of the project? What a shocker... I thought they had pulled that part out! Good news for Vancouver! :carrot:

No, RC is out! It will be a new dentity!

If*it*ever*gets*built.....

Did it begin in June? What is the current status?

As far as I know, the completion date is appro. 2014. but no idea when the construction will start.

i want to see this one uc :ohno:

Is this project still going forward? Are they having trouble with financing?

Not 100% sure but I heard that the project might start in late 2012.

What I don't get is that Vancouver recently hit a new high in a real estate values, that tower in Burnaby presold all its condos in a weekend, and a day doesn't go by when the press aren't talking about the chinese coming over in their droves to buy investment properties, and yet this doesn't get going. Surely, of all the towers in Vancouver (or even Canada for that matter), this one would sell the quickest and be the easiest to finance. What the hell are they waiting for?

Oh, demand for condos is very much alive and well... just not for ultra-luxury $2000/psf ones. Jameson House by Norman Foster, for example, had been scaled back in terms of finishes to adapt to the current market, with prices lowered to $850-1400 psf.

Oh, demand for condos is very much alive and well... just not for ultra-luxury $2000/psf ones. Jameson House by Norman Foster, for example, had been scaled back in terms of finishes to adapt to the current market, with prices lowered to $850-1400 psf.

If there isn't demand for ultra luxury now, there never will be...the developers of this tower should aim lower otherwise they'll never build it.

I thought that was the reason they redesigned the floor plan in order to bring the price down so that ordinary people could afford to buy one.