Rogers Arena Complex | 104m, 100m, 97m | U/C & Proposed

[Rusty Gull]

Maybe I'm being swept away by the renderings, but this seems to be a good-looking project! As for location insofar as businesses go, I think companies would be clamouring to set up shop there.

No, it's not Burrard or Howe Street, or Yaletown for that matter. But it is a downtown location with excellent transit connections and proximity to the up-and-coming Gastown/Chinatown neighbourhoods.

Unlike the Canucks on Saturday night, this one is shaping up to be a winner.

[officedweller]

Busby has updated its website with a few more renders:

http://www.busby.ca/clients/gm/index.htm

GM Place Tower. Setting new standards in occupant comfort and energy efficiency, GM Place Tower is projected to be the first carbon neutral office building in North America.

The proposed commercial tower will be built at the southwest corner of GM Place Arena. The 23 storey tower will be a major architectural icon, marking the east end of Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. The tower design consists of a triangular floor plate with facades facing northwest, east, and southwest. The new tower’s green design strategies include full daylighting, operable windows, non-toxic and recycled materials, storm water recapture, state-of-the-art glazing and energy-efficient mechanical systems. Instead of dumping waste heat from internal loads such as computers into the atmosphere, the new tower will export this heat to the adjacent arena when needed, reducing the fossil fuel use associated with heating the arena. This reduction in fossil fuel use balances that used by the utility in generating electricity for the tower, rendering the tower project carbon neutral. The project is anticipated to qualify for LEED® Gold certification. The project is walking distance to mass transit, the downtown core, and thousands of residences. The tower levels that align with the adjacent GM Place Arena will offer restaurants, retail, and other services for office workers and the neighborhood in general, helping to enhance urban life as part of a revitalization of this part of the city. There will be a direct connection of lower commercial levels into the arena during events.

[excel]

Cool.

[dreambrother808]

from those last 2 angles it looks kind of like metrotower 3

[harls]

Looks nice.

[Coldrsx]

simple, needed, attractive...nothing more, nothing less.

[EastVanMark]

When are they gonna move the arena (and the viaduct) down the street towards Science World? Judging by that first rendering...

Nice looking tower.

[westcoast604]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

simple, needed, attractive...nothing more, nothing less.

I suppose if your only fixated on looks and height...


The new tower’s green design strategies include full daylighting, operable windows, non-toxic and recycled materials, storm water recapture, state-of-the-art glazing and energy-efficient mechanical systems. Instead of dumping waste heat from internal loads such as computers into the atmosphere, the new tower will export this heat to the adjacent arena when needed, reducing the fossil fuel use associated with heating the arena. This reduction in fossil fuel use balances that used by the utility in generating electricity for the tower, rendering the tower project carbon neutral. The project is anticipated to qualify for LEED® Gold certification.

[excel]

Looks like they will have a big screen on the outside.

[officedweller]

DPB City staff report:

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/plannin...20DE411483.pdf

They want to require the developer to extend Stadium Station to the south side of Expo Blvd - this will happen anyways with the platform extensions:

[jlousa]

In todays 24hrs paper.


Towering glory wrapped for 2010

By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS


The Aquilini brothers are a step closer to building a 22-storey office tower connected to GM Place. City hall's development permit board approved Tri-Power Developments Inc.'s application on Monday.

It was originally scheduled for an October hearing, but was postponed by the civic strike. Tower development was originally permitted in December, 1993. But arena construction cost overruns forced then-owner Arthur Griffiths to nix the plan.

City of Vancouver deputy general manager David McLellan said the actual permit may not be issued until late spring or early summer because of several minor issues that need further study.

The Aquilinis are trying to capitalize on downtown's red-hot office market, but the tower won't be finished before GM Place hosts Olympic hockey in less than two years. Construction would pause during the Games and a decorative 3M-made building wrap would hide most of the site.

The project is planned for a triangular plot at Griffiths Way and Expo Boulevard that is used as a service and broadcast equipment loading bay.

[officedweller]

DPB Minutes:

http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/plannin...tes/feb25.html

Mr. Segal noted that it is a difficult site and there are a number of remaining issues that need to be resolved. The building height needs to come down to 91 metres. The building will be redesigned to have the top two levels come down and be incorporated in the 91 metres with the exuberant cap remaining. The building will have four telescoping spires that will exceed the 91 metres and will project into the view cone. Staff’s recommendation is to have the issue of the spires dealt with at the Board. Generally staff suggest that such elements not project into the view cone, however there is a more serious matter that has to do with Condition 1.3. Staff suggested that the applicant remove the vehicular drop-off at the viaduct level as it creates visibility problems and pedestrian conflicts. This does imply, with the deletion of the lay-by, that the ground floor on Expo Boulevard would become the dominant front door and arrival point for the office tower and staff are suggesting an enhancement of the lobby should be pursued. Also, some investigation needs to be done for the arrival concourse. The pedestrian plaza needs some further design development and the pedestrian link needs to be reconfigured at the viaduct level. This is a timely and welcome use for the site, and is leading the way in LEEDTM Gold. Staff believe that it is a very positive application.
...
Mr. Busby, Architect, said he was prepared to accept Condition 1.1 in the Staff Committee Report regarding the building height. With respect to the telescoping spires, Mr. Busby noted that they will refer to the score in a game being played in GM Place and that they are a character defining element on the building. Mr. Busby added that he would like to keep them above the view cone as he felt they would not compromise the view to the North Shore Mountains.
....
Regarding Condition 1.6, Mr. Busby made a commitment to work with the Director of Planning to provide a right-of-way within the plaza for the future expansion of the SkyTrain Station.
....
Mr. Busby gave a Power Point presentation to show the location of the vehicle drop-off and the proposed solution to have it integrate into the viaduct. Mr. Busby stressed the importance for the building to have a West Georgia Street address rather than a Georgia Viaduct address. He proposed that the city grid be extended by one block to allow for a connection to BC Place and that traffic calming be done on the viaduct. Mr. Busby also proposed a modified version of the lay-by to allow for taxis and car drop-off. He noted that the area would include gates and barriers with no permanent parking allowed. Mr. Busby added that by decreasing the speed of the cars on the viaduct, it would be safe for a car to pull out of the lay-by onto the viaduct. Also the lay-by would be closed during game time. Mr. Busby asked the Board to direct Engineering Services to work with them to find an acceptable solution.

David Negrin noted that they had spent the last month looking at revisions for the tower with respect to the loading bay area. He added that the design of the area cannot be changed due to the number of trucks that use the space during events in the arena. He said he was prepared to work with the City to get a vehicle drop-off on the viaduct so that they could have a West Georgia Street address. Mr. Negrin also asked that the City work with them in order to meet their requirements.
...
-The spires would penetrate the view cone when fully extended and would be lit to indicate the score for the hockey game. Staff are asking the Board to consider the spires rather than leaving it to the rezoning application.
-The spires would be intruding into the view cone around 100 hours a year.
-The preference is to have the spires remain lit at night.

[mr.x]

that's pretty neat, has there been anything like that done before?

[raggedy13]

That's pretty interesting about the spires. I wonder how exactly they pull off telling the score... like what would a score of 5-3 look like?

Thanks for posting the info officedweller.

[hollywoodnorth]

very cool!

[Hed Kandi]

..

[officedweller]

The floorplate is pretty interesting - circular elevator core (and only one bank of elevators). In addition, the 14th and 21st floors will have areas that are open to the floors below. Note the dotted line along the south curtain wall - that indicates sun shades.



Here's a rendering of the spires (lighting apparently not finalized). There will be a backlit wall along Expo Boulevard to liven up what would otherwise be a blank wall.



Pics from the Development Permit Report prepared by Busby.

[raggedy13]

^Cool stuff. Thanks officedweller. So, I guess those antennae mean Canucks 2, Flames 1? I think that'll add a great night lighting feature to the skyline.

[SFUVancouver]

^ It looks like the bathrooms would be the safest place in the building in the event of fire or earthquake.

Thanks for images Officedweller.

[mr.x]

i love it! thx for sharing.