At the intersection of Howe and Beach streets in downtown Vancouver, the prestigious architecture company Bjarke Ingels Group was tasked with proposing a mixed-use development. The building that Westbank, Canada’s leading real estate developer, has in mind would include residential units situated on top of a cutting-edge shopping center. From the Granville Bridge, a new view will be formed at the entrance to downtown Vancouver by the Vancouver House development, now known as Beach and Howe. By combining a modern urbanist platform with a slim tower, the tower and base provide a fresh take on the local typology, popularly known as “Vancouverism,” which aims to maintain view cones over the city while energizing the pedestrian street.
“We have brought together the best talent available in Vancouver and Europe to create a truly world class project that will enrich not only the particular neighbourhood, but also the city and its quest to become creative, sustainable and affordable city. Architecturally, the Beach and Howe tower will introduce a new building typology to the Vancouver skyline and will create a dramatic gateway to downtown Vancouver that speaks to the emerging creative economy in the city,” Ian Gillespie, President, Westbank.
The Bjarke Ingels Group’s distinctive architectural approach is evident in the tower’s form, which is primarily a reaction to the intricate urban settings of the surrounding area. Future residents’ spatial preferences are considered both at street level and when the skyscraper rises higher into the sky. A 30-meter wayleave from the Granville Bridge on one side protects the occupants’ windows and balconies from the heavy traffic below, and on the other side lets enough sunlight into the nearby park, forming the tower’s small triangular footprint from the ground plane.
Regarding how BIG came up with the diagram, Bjarke Ingels is cited as saying:
“The Beach and Howe tower is a contemporary descendant of the Flatiron Building in New York City – reclaiming the lost spaces for living as the tower escapes the noise and traffic at its base. In the tradition of Flatiron, Beach and Howe’s architecture is not the result of formal excess or architectural idiosyncrasies, but rather a child of its circumstances: the trisected site and the concerns for neighboring buildings and park spaces.”
When completed, the 600-unit residential building will rise 49 floors to become the fourth tallest structure in Vancouver’s skyline. The tower exploits an incredible opportunity in its height and proximity to the nearby creek by granting ample views towards the water and the surrounding mountainside. In a strange twist, the main spire reclaims lost area as it veers off the zone of influence of the bridge and hovers over the podium. As the floor plates transform from the triangular to rectangular modules, a smooth curvilinear silhouette is traced, like that of a curtain being drawn aside, ushering people in a welcoming stance. Steering clear from the noise, exhaust fumes, and privacy invasion of what is Granville Bridge, Beach, and Howe stands proudly as a victim of its circumstances.
The podium is an urban mixed-use community. The working, retail, and recreational spaces in the three triangle blocks open onto open plazas and walkways. These blocks rise to make a prominent location in the city out of what would have been dead space. In contrast to the drab concrete of the surrounding bridge, the podiums’ green roofs provide a welcome respite and support Vancouver’s efforts to create sustainable communities. Although the building strives for LEED Gold Certifications, its architectural integrity will endure for generations to come; it is a structure that delights as much as it satisfies on all contextual fronts.
Project Information
Architects: Bjarke Ingels Group
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Client: Westbank Projects Corporation
Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader: Agustin Perez-Torres
Design Team: Julianne Gola, Marcella Martinez, Chris Malcolm, Karol Borkowski, Michael Taylor, Alina Tamosiunaite, David Brown, Tobias Hjortdal, Alexandra Gustafson
Collaborators: Dialog, Cobalt Engineering, Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg Urban Design, Buro Happold, Glotman Simpson, James KM Cheng Architects
Area: 60 670 sqm
Status: Under Construction
Photographs: Bjarke Ingels Group
