The New Vancouver Skyline
Talk to anyone who has lived in Vancouver for a few years and they will most likely tell you about how much it has changed. Where there once had panoramic views, is likely now blocked by another skyscraper. The sparse neighborhoods with huge lots and lush green front yards are now replaced with townhomes and apartments. Even alleyways are neighborhoods in themselves dotted with laneway homes. If you look at photos from even a couple of decades ago, many of the iconic buildings you recognize did not exist. Livable neighborhoods such as Olympic Village, Yaletown, and Mount Pleasant were more or less industrial. Notorious for being a city of towering glass and critiqued for looking monotonous, Vancouver is stepping up their architectural game. Daily Hive wrote an article last year noting that Vancouver is undergoing the largest architectural renaissance in its history. “Cookie Cutter Condos” be gone. Keep reading about a few of the projects that are changing Vancouver’s skyline in the near future!
Oakridge
Known for hiring world-renowned architects such as Bjarke Ingels and Kengo Kuma to design their iconic projects, developer Westbank does it again with Oakridge. This massive development in the namesake Oakridge neighborhood is sure to re-define how Vancouverites choose to live. The proposed development with its first phase now for sale, boasts interesting curved glass towers and a plethora of amenities. When it is complete there will be 2,600 homes and workspace for 3,000 creative professionals. For those of you wondering where Oakridge mall will go, the answer is nowhere! It remains with more than 300 stores along with a unique culinary experience featuring local and global chefs. In addition, a large community center, Vancouver’s second-largest library and a nearly 10-acre park composed of six integrated smaller parks will be located on the site. If you have not checked out their Unwritten exhibition/ sales center at Oakridge mall, you must do so!
Canada Earth Tower
The world’s tallest wood tower will be coming to Vancouver! In case you are wondering, it will not burn. A project by Delta Land Development and designed by Perkins+Will this tower will be 35-40 stories tall and constructed out of cross-laminated timber (CLT). CLT is fire-resistant and the tower will have large quantities of wood for floor plates, structural columns, and exteriors – very different from the concrete and glass we are used to! Located on West 8th Avenue and Pine Street, the tower will include 200 homes – market housing units with at least 20% being non-market housing such as co-op or rental housing. A unique feature is an outdoor garden at every three-story section of the tower’s south façade which is accessible to residents of that section. At the podium of the complex, office space and retail will be available and wrapping an expansive horseshoe-shaped courtyard. Landscaping will be designed by the world-famous landscape architect, Cornelia Oberlander. We can’t wait to see how this project re-defines tower architecture and sustainable building for Vancouver!
Akimbo
Designed to blur the lines between sculpture and structure. Akimbo meaning “to stand with hands on the hips and elbows turned outward” is sure to stand apart in Brentwood. Designed by award-winning IBI Group this 40 storey building provides a bold and distinctive street and skyline presence. The impressive amenities boast a lounge, gym, boardroom, concierge, guest suite and outdoor podium courtyard. Close to transit and entertainment this building is sure to be a sought after residence.
What are you looking forward to seeing in Vancouver’s changing skyline? Let us know with the hashtag #area3designskyline
