745 Thurlow St | 91m | 23fl | Completed

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by giallo

What about the Terasen Centre, BC Hydro Centre, the Douglas Jung Building and Crown Life Plaza?

There are all office towers that were built in the 90's-early 2000s.

Being significantly under 100 metres, I do not think it is appropriate to label Crown Life Plaza, Douglas Jung Building or BC Hydro Centre as "towers." We must draw the line somewhere. However, I did miss Terasen Centre, as well as Cathedral Place (though it began construction in the eighties). But that's just three 100+ metre commercial buildings in 21 years! Compare that to earlier decades (1968 to 1986):

Eighties:

Four Bentall Centre (138 metres)
Park Place (137 metres)
HSBC Building (101 metres)
Canaccord Place (100 metres)

Seventies:

Royal Centre (145 metres)
Harbour Centre (140 metres)
Scotia Tower (138 metres)
Toronto Dominion Tower (127 metres)
Granville Square (122 metres)
Bank of Montreal Tower (122 metres)
Oceanic Plaza (104 metres)

Sixties:

1177 West Hastings (104 metres)
1075 West Georgia (104) metres)
Guinness Tower (100 metres)

That's fourteen 100+ metre commercial buildings in only 18 years!

[jlousa]

Not sure why height matters or even being exclusively commercial, to the people leasing the space it's all about square footage. In which case Vancouver has been averaging an increase in the hundreds of thousands sqftage of new space every year.
Might not give us a pretty skyscraper to look at but it's been keeping up with our absorption rates.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

That's fourteen 100+ metre commercial buildings in only 18 years!

Well by your measure of important commerical buildings we are only adding one to that list anyway, even though 3 significant buildings are being built.

Like Jlousa said sf'age is all that matters and height has nothing to do with it... in fact the 91m Bentall proposal has substantially more leasable area in it than Oxford's 145m proposal.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Wow! The early 70's were a huge skyline game changer for Vancouver!

As it also was for most cities across North America.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The late seventies weren't bad either:

Scotia Tower (1977)
Harbour Centre (1977)

And let's not forget the early eighties:

Four Bentall Centre (1981)
Park Place (1984)

It's been all down hill since then. Since the end of the eighties, the only pure commercial tower that has been built in Vancouver is Five Bentall Centre. One tower in twenty-one years. That's it. The 90s and 2000s were the lost decades.

That’s not entirely true, don't forget 401 Burrard Street and PWC Place. Bentall V was finished in, I think, 2005. There has been nothing stand alone since then.

The 2000's did see an additional 2 million sq feet of commercial added in mixed use buildings. The most prominent of which are the Shaw tower and the office tower at the library.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

Like Jlousa said square footage is all that matters and height has nothing to do with it....

If all the buildings in New York City were reduced to ten floors but somehow retained their current square footage and performed the exact same function as before, it would hardly be the city of our imaginations and dreams, the soaring monument to human greatness and ascent, both product of and fuel for the human spirit, both cause and effect of human art and creativity, even though it may still be the financial centre of the world. Thus, height has a lot to do with many things important to the human condition.

But even if we look at nothing but square footage, then the point I was making becomes even stronger.

Buildings with 100,000+ square feet of office space in Downtown Vancouver:

Built between 1990 to 2011 (21 years):

Bentall Five (577,976)
Waterfront Centre (365,168)
Terasen Centre (341,470)
Cathedral Place (307,399)
Vancouver Library Square (300,000)
BC Hydro Centre (290,571)
The Shaw Tower (279,000)
Pacific Centre Tower IV (264,177)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Place (239,440)
Amec Building 222,135)
401 Burrard Street (214,000)
Viva Tower (171,888)
1508 West Broadway (146,486)


Built between 1968 to 1989 (21 years):

Park Place (576,840)
Four Bentall Centre (543,454)
Bank of Montreal Tower (476,649)
Toronto Dominion Tower (471,100)
Royal Centre (433,300)
Granville Square (386,601)
Scotia Tower (385,878)
HSBC Building (383,972)
1075 West Georgia (360,000)
Oceanic Plaza (331,128)
Canaccord Tower (284,970)
1177 West Hastings (265,060)
Guinness Tower (256,128)
Harbour Centre (249,707)
One Bentall Centre (248,700)
Commerce Place (227,482)
401 West Georgia (225,250)
1050 West Pender (220,129)
701 West Georgia (215,479)
Manulife Place (213,000)
Canada Place (210,000)
AXA Centre (206,044)
Georgia Place (199,979)
The Grosvenor Building (195,102)
Scotia Trust Centre (193,200)
Crown Life Place (193,088)
Nelson Square (190,000)
Two Bentall Centre (167,828)
Clarica Building (167,087)
1166 Alberni (165,000)
Grant Thornton Place (154,495)
Sun Life Plaza (151,654)
1185 West Georgia (147,088)
1090 West Georgia (144,181)
Pender Place I (142,530)
Pender Place II (142,356)
777 Hornby (138,585)
Vancouver House (138,308)
Broadway Plaza (132,000)
1125 Howe Street (128,912)
Standard Life Building (125,405)
1111 Melville (105,372)
475 West Georgia (103,361)
1550 Alberni (100,159)

* Although carefully compiled, the lists are not necessarily 100% exhaustive.

But this is off-topic, so I will not say anymore on this matter here.

[LeftCoaster]

I'm not arguing against your point as a whole im just stating that an office building is not necessarily not major if it is <100m and vice versa.

And I never said anything about hopes and dreams and soaring monuments to fantastical imaginantionland nonsense either.

[PaperTiger]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

If all the buildings in New York City were reduced to ten floors but somehow retained their current square footage and performed the exact same function as before, it would hardly be the city of our imaginations and dreams, the soaring monument to human greatness and ascent, both product of and fuel for the human spirit, both cause and effect of human art and creativity, even though it may still be the financial centre of the world. Thus, height has a lot to do with many things important to the human condition.

But even if we look at nothing but square footage, then the point I was making becomes even stronger.

Buildings with 100,000+ square feet of office space in Downtown Vancouver:

Built between 1990 to 2011 (21 years):

Bentall Five (577,976)
Waterfront Centre (365,168)
Terasen Centre (341,470)
Cathedral Place (307,399)
Vancouver Library Square (300,000)
BC Hydro Centre (290,571)
The Shaw Tower (279,000)
Pacific Centre Tower IV (264,177)
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Place (239,440)
Amec Building 222,135)
401 Burrard Street (214,000)
Viva Tower (171,888)
1508 West Broadway (146,486)


Built between 1968 to 1989 (21 years):

Park Place (576,840)
Four Bentall Centre (543,454)
Bank of Montreal Tower (476,649)
Toronto Dominion Tower (471,100)
Royal Centre (433,300)
Granville Square (386,601)
Scotia Tower (385,878)
HSBC Building (383,972)
1075 West Georgia (360,000)
Oceanic Plaza (331,128)
Canaccord Tower (284,970)
1177 West Hastings (265,060)
Guinness Tower (256,128)
Harbour Centre (249,707)
One Bentall Centre (248,700)
Commerce Place (227,482)
401 West Georgia (225,250)
1050 West Pender (220,129)
701 West Georgia (215,479)
Manulife Place (213,000)
Canada Place (210,000)
AXA Centre (206,044)
Georgia Place (199,979)
The Grosvenor Building (195,102)
Scotia Trust Centre (193,200)
Crown Life Place (193,088)
Nelson Square (190,000)
Two Bentall Centre (167,828)
Clarica Building (167,087)
1166 Alberni (165,000)
Grant Thornton Place (154,495)
Sun Life Plaza (151,654)
1185 West Georgia (147,088)
1090 West Georgia (144,181)
Pender Place I (142,530)
Pender Place II (142,356)
777 Hornby (138,585)
Vancouver House (138,308)
Broadway Plaza (132,000)
1125 Howe Street (128,912)
Standard Life Building (125,405)
1111 Melville (105,372)
475 West Georgia (103,361)
1550 Alberni (100,159)

* Although carefully compiled, the lists are not necessarily 100% exhaustive.

But this is off-topic, so I will not say anymore on this matter here.

Wowza! Nice work. It is interesting to see such a marked impact of the "Living First" policy on office development.

It would be interesting to see what happened to suburban office parks over the same period. The Still Creek area in Burnaby, for example, has exploded in the last ten years.(best know for ebay, yellow pages)

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

If all the buildings in New York City were reduced to ten floors but somehow retained their current square footage and performed the exact same function as before, it would hardly be the city of our imaginations and dreams, the soaring monument to human greatness and ascent, both product of and fuel for the human spirit, both cause and effect of human art and creativity, even though it may still be the financial centre of the world. Thus, height has a lot to do with many things important to the human condition.

Then Dubai must be the best city in the world

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by mezzanine

Then Dubai must be the best city in the world

That is ridiculous. Great architecture demands not tallness, but proper height. And proper height is just one of many elements that constitute great architecture. And great architecture is just one of many elements that constitue a great city.

Hence, the greatness of New York, and the garishness of Dubai.

[osirisboy]

and price water house cooper (unless that was already mentioned by a different name)

[Yume-sama]

Dubai isn't really a testament to anything other than the power of too much money and efficiency of endless slave labour.

It's the modern day version of the Great Pyramids

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

and price water house cooper (unless that was already mentioned by a different name)

It was already mentioned under the same name.

[mezzanine]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

T And proper height is just one of many elements that constitute great architecture.

I couldn't say it better than that.

[privatejet]

From the press release:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../29/c6825.html
ANCOUVER, Aug. 29, 2011 /CNW/ - British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC) announced today plans for the construction of its newest development project, 745 Thurlow, a 400,000 square foot, "Triple A" office tower to be built to LEED® Gold standard, in downtown Vancouver.

Designed specifically for office tenants in Vancouver, 745 Thurlow's flexible architectural and mechanical design enables businesses, both large and small, to reduce space and save on operating costs.

"745 Thurlow is designed to meet the flexible needs of today's business," says Chuck Swanson, Vice President, Real Estate, bcIMC. "Companies today are looking to drive efficiency into their operations while they enjoy the lifestyle elements in a building like this that make the surrounding environment a better place to work and live. And they want this approach to be a sustainable one."

The first confirmed tenant of the office tower is McCarthy Tétrault, a leading Canadian law firm.

[LeftCoaster]

McCarthy's takes up just under 75'000 at their current location at 777 Dunsmuir, so they will likey be taking around 100k here with a possible option for future expansion. Still at least one more big tenant required to fill this building up but good to see they have an anchor.

McCarthy's lease at 777 expires in 2015, so I'd say that's a safe bet for a completion time for this one.

[LeftCoaster]

Oops just read in the article that they are aiming for a 2015 completion, sorry for the redundant info... but at least it was right!

Should be an early 2012 start then, maybe late 2011 given the large demo they need to do on the existing parkade.

[s211]

Pathetic little ass-kissing there with the Gregor quote added to the release. What's the point of that? Hmmm, let's see...

(maybe it's only because I haven't had coffee yet...)

[phesto]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

McCarthy's takes up just under 75'000 at their current location at 777 Dunsmuir, so they will likey be taking around 100k here with a possible option for future expansion. Still at least one more big tenant required to fill this building up but good to see they have an anchor.

Apparently they have been in negotiations with a couple of other medium-sized tenants, but the McCarthy deal going firm was enough to make the announcement. It should be at least 50% pre-leased by the time demolition is done.

[wrenegade]

My girlfriend's place is directly across the street from here. I'm excited to see this start, but I know she won't be too excited once it passes the 10th floor or so. Will be able to get some good photos during construction though.