[Jared]

Living Shangri-La

1120 West Georgia Street
Vancouver BC Canada
http://livingshangri-la.com/

Status: construction
Construction Dates
Started: 2005
Finished: 2007-08 (unknown)
Floor Count: 61
Basement Floors: 6
Floor Area: 61,779 m²
Elevator Count: 9

Building Uses
• mixed use
• hotel
• office
• residential
• retail
Structural Types
• highrise
• lowrise
Materials
• glass

Heights s

Roof 195.1 m To the top of the fins
57th floor 181.8 m
Sky garden 137.0 m

Description
This building will be the tallest building in Vancouver when completed. Project publicly anounced May 2003.

It will include Vancouver's first public sculpture garden.

This building has a triangular floorplate, due to a view cone restriction that cuts right through the middle of the site, leaving only a triangle where a 183m (600ft) building is permissible

Companies
James K.M. Cheng Architects Inc. - architect
Westbank Projects Corp. - developer

Renderings:

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/529/2507image001.jpg


http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/529/28vancouver-1120westgeorgia-07.jpg


http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/529/281120_west_georgia_rendering_1.jpg


http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/161120wgeorgia06.jpg

[Jared]

Febuary 18, 2005
Photos by subdude

http://www.nonstopdesign.com/shangrila/shangrila1.jpg

http://www.nonstopdesign.com/shangrila/shangrila2.jpg

http://www.nonstopdesign.com/shangrila/shangrila3.jpg

http://www.nonstopdesign.com/shangrila/shangrila5.jpg

[TOBoy]

I thought the tower was 60 floors? As well, 1 year for construction sounds a little too short.

Either way Its good to see this one going up.

[Beyond 1000]

Nice pictures Jared.

I think TOBoy is correct.

This building has 60 floors to the penthouse, and the skygarden is on 61. There are full size mechanical floors too going to the elevator machine room on floor 63. Some of the lower mezzanine floors are double in height to compensate for skipped numbers. Floor 61 for example is really 61 floors high.

I think this will be the most exciting building to go up in the city since maybe the Harbour Center was opened.

Too bad for no bar or public observatory though.

It will be nice to see it go up in our skyline.

[AJphx]

that is a great looking building.


btw, in the last pic of the first post, with the model display.... where is that at, it looks like some sort of mall or pedestrian street?

[fever]

That's the lobby at the library...

http://www.dickandwitta.com/Travel_Photos_2004/library2.jpg

[AJphx]

oh i see, very nice. I had thought the neon in the background was the signs of shops.... so is that just the service desk or do they have cafes there?

[R@ptor]

I always thought Vancouver had a 150m height limit?

[Jared]

Raptor, Vancouver has a 450ft height limit (+10% xtra for features and mechanical stuff).

However, there are 6 sites where buildings up to 600ft (+10%) are allowed, this is one of those sites. Most of the others are developed, though there is one with a 162m tower that will be built (eventually, it was supposed to be u/c over a year ago)

AJphx, there are cafees and stuff in there

[phesto]

It will likely be topped out ~spring/summer 2007, and ready for occupancy Spring 2008.

Here's a summary of the levels of the tower:

Levels:

P2 and 3: Parking

P1: Hotel and residential drop-off/ Commercial and residential loading/ Hotel valet parking/ Garbage

P1 Mezzanine: Hotel services

Ground floor: Urban food store/ Public art site/ Retail/ Live work lobby/ Residential/hotel lobby

Mezzaine/3rd: Two restaurants/ Public gardens and walkway/ Hotel restaurant and services

L 5: Spa

L 6: Amenity

L 7-15: Hotel (96 bedrooms)

L 16-17: Mechanical-elevator overrun

L 16-42: General Office Live/work (227 units)

L 43: Mechanical

L 43-60: Residential (66 units)

L 61: Residential roof garden

Note- Level 4 and 13 do not exist

[Lucky 24]

Awesome, can't wait to see this one rise. You vancouver boys (and girl) better keep us up to date with pics. ;)

[Beyond 1000]

I guess this will be the official thread for this building.

Truly exciting for such a tall building to rise in Vancouver and change the skyline for good.

The only thing I don't like about it is the name.

"Living Shangri-La"

What the hell is that? Not befitting the tallest building in the city.

Even if it just goes by the name of "Shangri-La". It needs a more corporate "robust" name than that. The name is too dainty for such a building.

I hope they don't end up going with that name.

Compare that name to Vancouver's current tallest "One Wall Center." Now that sounds cool and big time.

[towerguy3]

how do I post a photo of the pit?

[phesto]

Apparently as of today (June 1, 2005) they've sold 210 of 227 units. The 17 remaining are the higher range units that typically take longer to sell.

Here is some more factual info on the construction:

Estimated 3.1 million man hours to build.

123,000 cubic metres excavation volume.

51,000 cubic metres of concrete to build.

7,000 tons of concrete reinforcing steel.

[towerguy3]

Where did you get those facts from? That's neat info.

123,000 cubic meters of excavation. At the Ground breaking, Ian Gillespie said they will need to move 15,000 truckloads of dirt. That's one truckload for every seat in the Pacific Coliseum.

123,000 divided by 15,000 truckloads = 8.2 cubic meters per truck

8.2 x (3.28 cubed) = 289 cubic feet of dirt per truck

123,000 x (3.28 cubed) = 123,000 x 35.3 = 4,341,480 cubic feet

The site measues 396 feet x 115 ft = 45,540 square feet

Divide, and you get a hole depth of 95 feet.

That's incredible. A hole 400 feet x 115 feet by 10 stories deep.

Fill it with water and we'd have a pretty nifty swimming pool!

[buildup]

Looks nice! This tower will stand out nicely since it is one of the few spots they can put a larger tower.

[towerguy3]

It's 400 ft across the Shangri-La pit from this spot to the church! Nice big swimming pool when it's done!
http://photos14.flickr.com/17938451_64af14b6c9.jpg

[towerguy3]

Looks like they've got less than 11 feet to go to bottom the hole out. The number 49 is spraypainted on the walls to give a reference depth and these's an 11 ft with an arrow pointing down, indicating I guess they've got 11 feet to go.

[The Chemist]

I guess this will be the official thread for this building.

Truly exciting for such a tall building to rise in Vancouver and change the skyline for good.

The only thing I don't like about it is the name.

"Living Shangri-La"

What the hell is that? Not befitting the tallest building in the city.

Even if it just goes by the name of "Shangri-La". It needs a more corporate "robust" name than that. The name is too dainty for such a building.

I hope they don't end up going with that name.

Compare that name to Vancouver's current tallest "One Wall Center." Now that sounds cool and big time.

It's got a Shangri-La hotel in it, hence the name. I doubt the Hotel company would be happy if they couldn't put their name on it.

[Fabb]

The first two renderings give a different impression. The slender side of the building is much more elegant.

[Beyond 1000]

^
I hear you Chemist. Yes, what you say does make sense. I just wish it turned out different for a different name.

As long as we get that building, at the end Shangri-la will do.

[Maldive]

There's a 65 storey/700' Shangri-La being built in downtown Toronto, but no-one seems to care/notice.

[TOBoy]

^No confirmation or factual base for the info. Maybe true, but best to wait till the right info comes out.

[towerguy3]

Using shadow analysis and trig, I estimate the pit is now 70 feet deep.

[RLS_rls]

The renderings didn't show up....

[Jared]

The renderings didn't show up.... The gallery is having a nap..

[smho]

Update from July 30, 2005.

Excavation on the easterly portion of the site appears to have reached the bottom.

Along West Georgia
http://members.shaw.ca/mt22/slpit.32.jpg

Alberni side
http://members.shaw.ca/mt22/slpit5.32.jpg

Still digging on the westerly portion.
http://members.shaw.ca/mt22/slpit2.32.jpg

Huge mound of dirt for the excavators to climb up from the pit
http://members.shaw.ca/mt22/slpit4.32.jpg

[towerguy3]

Will the pit have the same uniform depth from Thurlow right across to the church?

[Jared]

Well, they will have to dig all of that out if they want to pour concrete there.

I walked by today during my lunchbreak, and I said to myself
"Damn, that is one fucking deep hole".

[Thefigman]

How close is this site to the Wall Centre? I'm trying to picture where in the skyline this will be as I am crossing over the Granville Bridge.

[towerguy3]

The Shangri-La is one block west and 3 blocks north of the Wall Center. It'll stand 646 feet high; the Wall Center is 491 ft.

The difference in elevation of the ground above sea level at both sites is about 20 feet.

[Thefigman]

So closer and to the left. Thanks!

[MistyMountainHop]

So closer and to the left. Thanks!

Actually the Shangri-La is farther away from the Granville Bridge than One Wall Centre.

[towerguy3]

Some fool just bought the penthouse suite for $ 8 million.

$ 8 million to be across the street from a 7-11 and a Liquor Store.

[Jared]

Some fool just bought the penthouse suite for $ 8 million.

$ 8 million to be across the street from a 7-11 and a Liquor Store. Um, for someone so enthused about this building, I find it rather bizzare that you seem to be in a bad mood about that. The construction of a building depends on the success of sales, you know :frog:

[James Bond Agent 007]

yay

[Mininari]

Agreed. That means one more unit sold, and one less unit to compete with the 1133 W. Georgia sales when they commence.

Was that the "full-floor" version of the Penthouse, or did they chop up the top floor into 2 or 3 smaller units?

If so, that is one expensive perch.

-------------
On a construction note, I wonder when the "Big Pour" begins.

[Mike K.]

$13m for the Shaw tower penthouse so $8m just doesn't raise any eyebrows :D

Van Dame bought Shaw's master suite, no..?

[towerguy3]

You mean Jean Claude Van Dame? I hear he is a regular at The Swedish Touch.

[npinguy]

You mean Jean Claude Van Dame? I hear he is a regular at The Swedish Touch.

rub and tug?

[Mininari]

It looks like they are starting to construct the sidewalk hording.
I wonder if a crane and foundation pour are in the cards soon.

I'm going to be out of the Country until the 8th of September... I wonder how much more they're get done by then.

===
Looking forward to 2008 and beyond,

[towerguy3]

New webcam for the site at http://www.livingshangri-la.com click on Webcam

I wonder how often the images are updated

[towerguy3]

How will they dig out all the dirt in the center? The fence now goes all the way around. The excavators can't reach up any higher now. Will they erect the main crane and scoop out the remaining dirt with a crane shovel? I don't recall them doing that with the Melville tower.

[MistyMountainHop]

Webcam:
http://lvl.verttech.com/camera/1-1-1.jpg

[Seattle206]

To get the dirt out, they use a system of belts (like a conveyer belt), that "ramp" the dirt out of the hole into a line of awaiting dump trucks.

[phillyskyline]

i like it but why is it so damn boxy/?

[enigma99a]

I love this tower.. it's beautiful. Can't wait to see it go up.

[cityguy]

I don't really care too much for this building,it's too boxy,but I do like the effect it will have on Vancouver's skyline,the skyline is way to flat now it looks like all the building are the same height.

[Mininari]

Man, it sure didn't take long for the shangri-la webcam to go offline.

Its been the same black and white picture for days now.

[Marvel 33]

That is a damn deep hole! The tower will be very nice when it's done. Nice addition to Vancouver.

[Stu]

Too boxy? What am I at SSC?

[Mininari]

"I'm too boxy for my hat... too boxy for my hat... what you think about that????"

Sorry. Had to.
:laugh:

September 21st... Crane is in place, excavation almost finished(?)
I guess it won't rise above street level until next year sometime... juding by how long the Hudson was below ground. This hole is deeper too!

How long did it take the Melville to rise above the surface one they started the actual construction?

I guess Vancouver's construction fun will pan out so that we See Bentall V and the Melville rise for now... then Shangri-la (out of the pit) new spring. Then as Shangri-La rises, they'll start on 1133 w. Georgia, and hopefully the Burrard Landing Hotel Project.

I can't wait for that "shell" to come down. Its been too long.

And the convention centre is ongoing the whole time. Plenty to watch!

[towerguy3]

I was told the concrete pour for the core foundation costed $ 1 million.

Is Shangri-La still on schedule?

[Beyond 1000]

Was down there Monday, Oct 24 and they were still digging at the foundation. On the Thurlow side the foundation is being worked on with rebar going up. You can see the big footings pounded in there. That has to be the deepest dig the city has ever done. It will be one hell of a building for Vancouver.

[towerguy3]

How are they going to get all the dirt out on the other side? The excavators can only reach up so far.

[Beyond 1000]

How are they going to get all the dirt out on the other side? The excavators can only reach up so far.

I don't know but I have a feeling that THEY know so I'm not too concerned about that one. They may use mobile hoist with a large bucket, kind of like a dredger. I'm no expert in this so I'm just guessing.

[Mininari]

Yep, they seem to be getting it out somehow.

I'm more curious to know how long its going to take to build up the underground 'guts' to street level so we can finally watch the actual tower rise!

When is it going to top out? (with the crane at 800ft above sea level!)

[phesto]

Progress:

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/5889/0831051by.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4932/0914053vv.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4102/0928053xw.jpg

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6015/1012054sk.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/3581/1026052cu.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2277/1109057dk.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7261/1123054ao.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4086/127059bn.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/500/1221054vu.jpg

[Beyond 1000]

Some excellent pictures here phesto. Tons of activity. It will be so nice when we see this building begin to eclipse the central core towers and then the top of Wall Center.

[phesto]

August 2, 2006 update, 1st floor elevator core/columns now poured, parkade work continues:

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/9861/lslsite3zl7.jpg

[der Reisender]

where did you get or find that shot? its a great view of the project

[Dougall5505]

it looks like a webcam maybe?

[towerguy3]

My GPS receiver gave coordinates for the ShangriLa site as:

Lat: 49 deg 17' 10.6''
Long: 123 deg 07' 30.1''

I was standing at the southwest corner of the site for this reading.

I could only lock onto 3 satellites due to all the towers. A 4th satellite would've given me a low resolution reading of the altitude at street level(elevation above sea level).

If someone can take their GPS to the site and get an elevation reading at street level (above sea level), much appreciated.

[enigma99a]

Just use Google Earth, it's accurate.

Street level varies accross the lot from 135ft-141ft (41.148 Meters to 42.977 Meters)

[towerguy3]

Phesto, where did you get that downward pointing shot? From 1166 Alberni or the Carmana bldg? Is there an observation deck up there?

[Lecom]

Damn, how deep is that? How many u/g levels is it gonna have?

[towerguy3]

There are 7 levels of parking.

I wonder if they've targeted a date at which they expect to break through the 491 foot height. No doubt they'll be a ceremony attended by the Mayor and hopefully some BC Lions cheerleaders.

[Canadian Mind]

Lol, that'd be great.

Is the official webcam down? I wanted to see if they finished the rebar on the northside or the first underground parking level.

Also, does anyone know when they will start to pour the elevator shaft and support colums?

[towerguy3]

The triangular shape of the building is starting to take form. Those columns on the corner are huge! The casons they're using seem to be about the same size as those used in the pilings down at the new convention center, and that's understandable since they have to support 61 stories.....

[raggedy13]

Just thought I'd repost a couple model pics since they don't seem to be working on the first page...


http://www.condoassignments.com/developmentimages/27/Shangri-La%20bulding.jpg

http://thehoddlegrid.net/dump/shangri-la-vcr.jpg

When I saw the building the other day I couldn't believe how fast it's going up now that it is above ground. Great to see.

[Urban Zombie®]

Wow, this has been a slow thread. The posts at the top of this page are almost a year ago to the date from today. Glad this project is finally underway.

[Hoodrat]

Wow, this has been a slow thread. The posts at the top of this page are almost a year ago to the date from today. Glad this project is finally underway.
agreed...

[phesto]

September 8, 2006 update:

The third floor deck is being prepared for the concrete pour. Parkade work continues...

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7015/090806te8.jpg

Courtesy of Smooth, a photo from September 1, 2006 showing the Thurlow street side.

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m20/carsenchant/IMG_1338.jpg

[Dougall5505]

thanks i was wondering how far along this building is

[colemonkee]

Seems like it took forever to get to this point, but it should shoot up from here on out. I'm sure it will be well worth the wait.

[phesto]

September 20, 2006 update:

Much of the 3rd floor has now been poured, work is now beginning on the hotel pool, and the columns/core to go up to the 4th floor.

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2426/092006pg5.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j142/Theoldvictorian/shangrila.jpg
Photo courtesy of Holden West

[raggedy13]

Here are some updated construction pics, compliments of 204...

http://static.flickr.com/103/268948457_0a0879dfdb.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/97/268948491_53f634eb73.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/86/268948564_7d91d43189.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/268952061_09bdb97b0d.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/94/268951913_0743a15940.jpg

[raggedy13]

Also, here are a few pics that give an idea of how it will look in the skyline when completed...

Looking from the south...
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/webcam02.jpg

Looking from the north...
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/3.jpg

[cornholio]

Posted by Archtype
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1304/shangrilawhere3si9.jpg

[Urban Zombie®]

This project is rising too slowly for someone as impatient as myself...time to bring in the chinese construction crews methinks.

[phesto]

October 17th, 2006 update:

Most of the 4th floor has been poured, and work on the 5th floor has begun. Parkade work is still ongoing, but they just poured most of the at-grade slab, meaning it should be finished soon.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/525/1xy9.jpg

[WonderlandPark]

Agree with Auston, this has got to be one of the slowest rising buildings out there.

[Canadian Mind]

thats because most of the effort is going towards completing the parkade. Once that is done my guess is that the guys working on that will begin work on the tower.

A floor every 6 days isn't a bad pace though, is it?

[BINARY SYSTEM]

Shangri-Laaa...It has a nice ring to it.

Cornholios post was a nice rendering of the new skyline, looks good.

[phesto]

^It has actually been a floor every 10 days to this point. However, the first 4 floors were all different. Floors 5 through 58 are essentially the same with only minor variations in the balconies and elevator core.

The work on the parkade also slows construction a bit, as they cannot accomodate concrete pours for both parts of the site at once.

Beginning with the 5th floor, they're expecting to finish a floor per week. (ie. expect top-out around this time next year).

[Canadian Mind]

Question, how they goign to fill in those holes with the cranes sticking out?

[city guy]

October 17th, 2006 update:

Most of the 4th floor has been poured, and work on the 5th floor has begun. Parkade work is still ongoing, but they just poured most of the at-grade slab, meaning it should be finished soon.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/525/1xy9.jpg


are we seeing the full extent of the building's diagonal now?
I've been trying to understand how wide the tower will be onits longest side

[Nowhereman1280]

Question, how they goign to fill in those holes with the cranes sticking out?

The cranes usually go up an elevator shaft or some sort of utility corridor within the core, so, if you can call it getting filled in, they get filled in with elevator shaft.

Though the crane in the parking structure does look like its in an odd spot for an elevator, and its on a diagnal, is that just aestetic placement of stairs and elevators or something else we are looking at?

[Canadian Mind]

the tower crane is in an odd spot too, right beside where the elevator shafts are, thats kinda why I asked. :p

[AK47KC]

Those holes are probably for stairways. I don't think an elevator would go up angled in respect to the rest of the building or outside the core that often.

[Canadian Mind]

two short for stairs. besides, the stairs are suppost to go between the elevator shafts

[phesto]

^The crane on the left will be a single elevator shaft from the parkade to the grocery store above. The reason it is on an angle like that is because it will line up with the walkway that runs diagonally across the site.

I'm not sure about the crane for the tower. In it's current location it will be running right through the suites above.

[city guy]

does anyone know if the current width of the tower portion represents the full width of the project? I'm trying to understand how bulky the tower will be

[squeezied]

^ummm pretty much yea. the thurlow side steps in a bit at level 4

[caltrane74]

That thing is moving fast. I cant wait till we get one too here in Toronto.

[Canadian Mind]

finish the F**king thing already.


:tup:

[Lee_Haber8]

thats because most of the effort is going towards completing the parkade. Once that is done my guess is that the guys working on that will begin work on the tower.

A floor every 6 days isn't a bad pace though, is it?

That's probably the only thing I don't like about Vancouver's planning is their minimum parking requirements. I say let a developer build how much underground parking they feel is suitable. Most people should be walking or using transit anyways. Parking really jacks up the costs - each lot costs 20,000 dollars.

[raggedy13]

Here's an updated pic of the site from its webcam... as of about 3pm today...

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Misc/1.jpg

[city guy]

I've heard that ths tower is going to have areas of special fritted glazing which refracts sunlight into colours
anyone know about this?

[raggedy13]

^I hadn't heard a thing about that. That sounds pretty amazing if it's true though. All I know is that the building will have little solar charged bits covering the facade that will glow at night.