Fifteen Fifteen (1500 W Georgia) | 134m | 43fl | U/C

[Pinion]

I really like it. Trump/Shangri-La has already made the West Georgia entrance to the city amazing but this will add another dimension.

[Klazu]

And so the debate begins...

For Brian Jackson, Vancouver’s general manager of planning and development services, the Bosa proposal is the kind of signature design the city is looking for to improve the city’s overall architectural fabric.

“It’s an extraordinary design, there’s no doubt about it,” Jackson said. “The applicant and architect have put an incredible amount of thought into creating something that is truly unique in Vancouver.”

Jackson said the design conforms to the city’s recently approved West End plan, which allows for buildings of the height Bosa and Kingswood are proposing, as well as the “need to make a statement” on a prominent site.

However, the proposal is only in the pre-application phase, Jackson added. The city now needs to review how the proposal meets existing policies, and staff will respond with comments to Bosa and Scheeren before they make a formal development application. And Jackson said they’ve asked the developers to hold an open house before submitting that application, for which he expects a mixed response.

That seems to be a reasonable prediction. When contacted Friday afternoon, one former city planner couldn’t think of a single positive thing to say about the design. “I’m still in shock from seeing the picture this morning,” said urban designer Ray Spaxman. “This building looks like a fairly regular sort of highrise with ship containers shoved in and out at various degrees on the facade.”

He worries that Vancouver doesn’t have a cohesive plan for the downtown skyline, and that with the current craze for celebrity architecture, the city will turn into a collection of attention-grabbing buildings with no real connection to each other.

“Everyone’s striving to be the most important building in town. It’s interesting — in the old days it used to be cathedrals and then city halls. Now it’s communications offices and highrise residential for rich people,” Spaxman said.

For Gordon Price, director of SFU’s City Program, the biggest concern is how the building would relate to the simple lines of Peter Cardew’s glass-fronted tower on the same site, as well as the public plaza that would separate the two. “We’re trying to fit development into its context and there’s no way to do it without being disruptive somehow,” he said. “They have put it in the only reasonable place that it wouldn’t be intrusive.”

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business...#ixzz3cv6TBzIn

[squeezied]

I'm trying to like this tower but I find it really hard. It's a really confusing design. I feel the architect was trying to put form over function (what's the point of protruding boxes with blank walls when you can't capitalize on the views?). And yet the form looks messy and cluttered. The main part of the tower just looks like prefabricated units stacked on top of each other. It definitely gives off that 60's or 70's vibe, with a modern take. I suppose that compliments the West End in that sense. Only time will tell, but I don't think this building will age well, at least with the current design.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by squeezied

What's the point of protruding boxes with blank walls when you can't capitalize on the views?

There are huge windows on all sides of the potruding bozes. It's just their light reflection effect making it difficult to notice.

[hankthetank]

Am I the only one who isn't getting their panty's in a bunch over this proposal? Looks like the architect downloaded sketchup, discovered the push/pull tool, played around for 10 minutes and produced this.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

I will be the outlier here and say that this tower looks stupid. Like, what you would expect when you get a street-side artist with no aim to design a building for an architecture firm. The protruding boxes have already been done numerous times and is nothing unique. It makes the tower look stunted. Worse, one side of the tower is completely flat with no protruding boxes, as if it has an identity crisis and does not know what it wants to be. A simpler, more uniform design is all that was needed.

I agree; I think it's awful. It's messy and cluttered like so much of the other junk going up in the city (725 Granville, Telus Garden). It doesn't relate one bit to the simple lines and dimensions of the office building beside it.

Awful, awful, awful.

[urbancanadian]

^^I think that's sort of intentional. I'm guessing that the building is early in the design phase, like in between figuring out the massing and starting to get into the details. To me it's clearly unfinished and wouldn't pass the UDP yet. Bosa is probably just testing the waters with the public. I bet they are worried somewhat that people will go crazy (like they did with 555 West Cordova) and potentially force a costly re-design.

That being said, I'm really looking forward to the first official proposal because it is very promising and different. I love what they are doing at ground level, and with how they plan to integrate the existing water feature.

PS - Ole Scheeren used to be with OMA, if anyone is wondering. Thanks for posting all the pics and everything, Klazu!

[Xerx]

I like it.

[trofirhen]

Originally Posted by Cypherus

I will be the outlier here and say that this tower looks stupid. Like, what you would expect when you get a street-side artist with no aim to design a building for an architecture firm. The protruding boxes have already been done numerous times and is nothing unique. It makes the tower look stunted. Worse, one side of the tower is completely flat with no protruding boxes, as if it has an identity crisis and does not know what it wants to be. A simpler, more uniform design is all that was needed.

+1 As I said in another post: "apples and shoe polish"

[Bcasey25raptor]

Oh please let this be built, it looks amazing.

[trofirhen]

This is another building I feel that I am "supposed" to like, because if I don't like it, it will make me a "squarehead" with no imagination.
Most of the feedback on this is positive, but I think that's because it's bizarrely different, and therefore "avant garde" by Vancouver standards.
Sorry if my snobby side is showing, but I think it's awkward, and ill-fitting for its 'hood.

[TourOdeon]

Finally, a true Vancouver landmark. This kind of design will only work in Downtown.

[ozonemania]

Love it. Not saying it's a masterpiece, but I love it. It invites and encourages architectural diversity, which is pretty much what every single critic of Vancouver's skyline says we have so little of. I like the brightness of the tower, reflecting light in the area. I think it will be the kind of building that will great visual interest from street level. It would also be a hard slap to the back of the head for our local architects who clone their tower designs over and over.

That said, I think that people on the UDP and vocal critics like the ones voicing their opinion on this forum will water this down to something pretty mediocre. It'll be safe, taking all the "too much x" out of ways to describe it. Which is a shame.

I'd rather have a design like this than another 'safe' tower.

[city guy]

Originally Posted by ozonemania

Love it. Not saying it's a masterpiece, but I love it. It invites and encourages architectural diversity, which is pretty much what every single critic of Vancouver's skyline says we have so little of. I like the brightness of the tower, reflecting light in the area. I think it will be the kind of building that will great visual interest from street level. It would also be a hard slap to the back of the head for our local architects who clone their tower designs over and over.

That said, I think that people on the UDP and vocal critics like the ones voicing their opinion on this forum will water this down to something pretty mediocre. It'll be safe, taking all the "too much x" out of ways to describe it. Which is a shame.

I'd rather have a design like this than another 'safe' tower.

I agree...it a work under evolution..it has some qualities of 56 Leonard, going up in Manhattan (by Herzog and Demeuron) mixed up within a quieter background building...what I find potentially exciting is the prospect of a livelier ground-plane which intersects with the existing stunning fountain...the theatre with a glass wall could be a super performance venue

Peter Cardew's Crown Life project is possibly the best office tower in Western Canada so I hope they can find a language of materials which compliment it

I think that we should be supportive of experimental initiatives like this to give our city lots of variation and intrigue...obviously the whole city shouldn't be a war of form and style but a few great landmarks is desperately needed here

[st7860]

this proposed building is famous now!

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/06/v...-west-georgia/

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by hankthetank

Am I the only one who isn't getting their panty's in a bunch over this proposal? Looks like the architect downloaded sketchup, discovered the push/pull tool, played around for 10 minutes and produced this.

I agree. I don't find anything special about this building. I just fail to see the beauty in it.

[Tfreder]

Not a fan. If it wasn't for the gimmicky protruding boxes, this would just be your typical, straight from the 70's, west end tower.

However, I do like the podium/street level design of this tower; it is very well designed.

[vanman]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

Global BC News Hour had a story on the project, and some video of the tower that showed details not in the renders.

http://globalnews.ca/video/2052762/a...-west-georgia/

After seeing some of the video renders I'm starting to like this proposal. Near the end of the vid you can see what looks like some sort of reflective cladding on the 'blank' areas of the building.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Tfreder

Not a fan. If it wasn't for the gimmicky protruding boxes, this would just be your typical, straight from the 70's, west end tower.

Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Still, I want to see this get built. Even though I don't like the design, it's different and the alternative is probably another seafoam-green spandrel covered The Mark clone.

[rofina]

At the least these new builds inspire conversation - its okay if some, even lots don't like it. Thats art, thats architecture!

Nothing worse than a handful of bland towers that blur together into one sea foam blob….