8.4 C
Vancouver
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Open house for The Crystal office tower next to Waterfront Station

Architect Gordon Gill hopes design pushes boundaries and ‘creates a dialogue’

Cadillac Fairview is planning a landmark 26-storey office tower next to Waterfront Station, known as The Crystal at Waterfront Square.

The office tower at 555 West Cordova has been in the works for years, and a previous design was rejected by the Urban Design Panel in 2015 due to concerns about how the proposed building interacted with the historic Waterfront Station, as well as the loss of public views and space.

Now, a revised development application has been filed with a slightly tweaked design. Cadillac Fairview says the reconfiguration allows for 85 per cent of the current surface parking lot to be repurposed as an open civic square, hence the name “The Crystal at Waterfront Square.” There will also be a publicly-accessible viewing terrace on level four, with water views to the North Shore.

“This site sits at a ‘pivot point’ between downtown, Gastown and the waterfront — the building is a 3D puzzle that needs to be addressing those things,” says Gordon Gill, design partner and co-founder of AS+GG (Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture).

Gill says the design team has listened carefully to public feedback from the first iteration, and incorporated it into the revised design.

“We shrunk the floor plate of the building with the goal of increasing the plaza open space from 73 to 86 per cent. In the process of doing that, we didn’t only increase the public open space, we celebrate the façade of Waterfront Station,” he says, explaining how the second iteration of the tower has been pushed north of the east façade of the station.

Gill says they are trying to achieve a project that not only enhances the skyline, but pushes the boundaries of architecture in Vancouver and creates a dialogue that gets people talking.

Renderings: The Crystal at Waterfront Square

Looking west
Looking west. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Public plaza.
Public plaza. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Public plaza.
Public plaza. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Public plaza
Public plaza. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Public plaza
Public plaza. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Outdoor amenity
Public viewing terrace on level four. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Outdoor amenity
Outdoor amenity. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Project branding
Project branding. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Building drawing
Building drawing as viewed from harbour. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Building drawing
Building drawing as viewed from West Cordova Street, looking east. Credit: Cadillac Fairview
Building drawing
Building drawing as viewed from West Cordova Street. Credit: Cadillac Fairview

The tower design has also been rotated to allow for greater visibility of the heritage façade of Waterfront Station.

Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, also known as AS+GG, are on the project, as well as B+H Architects. 

Cadillac Fairview is touting the sustainability features of the project, which include:

  • Carbon neutral operating systems
  • Zero new parking stalls created for this project
  • Direct connectivity to the largest multi-modal transit hub in Vancouver (Waterfront Station)
  • Significant bicycle storage units with shower/change rooms and onsite maintenance facilities
  • WELL and LEED Platinum certifications

Open house photos: The Crystal at Waterfront Square

Rendering of The Crystal
The Crystal as viewed from Burrard Inlet.
Architectural drawing
View along W. Cordova St.
Architectural drawing
View from Burrard Inlet.
The Crystal building model
Building model, looking southwest.
The Crystal building model
Building model, looking south.

“The Crystal at Waterfront Square is another example of Cadillac Fairview’s commitment to designing and operating a world-class building that contributes to a vibrant and sustainable city,” said Tom Knoepfel, senior vice president western portfolio at Cadillac Fairview, in a press release.

Cadillac Fairview is and has been a long-standing developer, owner, and manager of both retail and office properties in Vancouver and we’re proud to be carrying on that tradition with this landmark development that will bring to market much needed class A office and commercial space in downtown Vancouver,” added Knoepfel.

Urban realm relationships
Relationship of proposed office building to Waterfront Station and The Landing.
Response to urban planning principles
86 per cent of the site will be open, and feature a large public plaza.
Plaza drawing
86 per cent of the site will be open, and feature a large public plaza, as well as a 20 metre right of way.
Plaza with future integrated street
86 per cent of the site will be open, and feature a large public plaza, as well as allowing for a future street connected to The Hub waterfront area.
The Crystal office tower open house
The open house for The Crystal was held at the Fairmont Waterfront, February 18, 2020.
Design rationale
Explanation about the building’s architecture and how it relates to the neighbouring historic buildings.
Building footprint
Footprint of The Crystal office tower.

The project supports the City of Vancouver’s HUB framework plan for the waterfront, which aims to create an extension of downtown at the waterfront, over the tracks and north to the harbour. The design of the plaza and the tower location allows for a future northbound street connection from West Cordova to the waterfront.

Landscape architecture is by PFS Studio. The project heads to the Development Permit Board on Monday, May 25, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

Cadillac Fairview says it hopes to commence construction in 2020. The company is the largest commercial property owner in Vancouver, with over four million square feet of retail and office space, and also recently announced it would be rebranding the former Four Seasons Hotel with a new lifestyle hotel brand.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news.

Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner
Peter Meiszner is an experienced journalist and media relations professional, based in Vancouver. As founder of urbanYVR.com, he has been reporting on urban development across the Lower Mainland since 2016, and has also served as vice-chair of the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee. In October 2022, he was elected to Vancouver city council and is no longer actively reporting for urbanYVR.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

872FansLike
4,971FollowersFollow
4,165FollowersFollow
Snaile Smart Parcel Lockers

Latest Articles

Urban Planning

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news.