Vancouver's iconic skyline evolves with true skyscrapers

When thinking about Vancouver, our iconic downtown skyline of glass and concrete towers is well known throughout the world. For the past several years our skyline has been dominated by Shangri-La, Vancouver’s tallest tower at approximately 659 feet at Georgia and Thurlow – the epicenter of our Commercial Business District. Although it will continue to be the tallest for the foreseeable future, our skyline is evolving and Shangri-La will no longer be quite so alone. Approximately four years ago the City of Vancouver approved a handful of downtown locations to eventually be developed into true skyscrapers (usually defined as buildings more than 50 floors high), up about 20% from previous maximum heights. Trump International Hotel and Tower, also on Georgia Street, is currently under construction and will be approximately 616 feet high when complete in a couple of years. Vancouver House just started construction and will be 492 feet high. Another tower of similar height will flank it so that, when entering downtown from the Granville Street Bridge, Vancouver House will be one of a pair of buildings that act as the gateway. There will also be a pair of buildings at Burrard and Drake that will form a Burrard Bridge gateway. Burrard Place, which is currently going through the city process, will be the tallest tower of this gateway topping off at around 550 feet high.

These higher buildings represent the evolution of our city as we continue to be one of the best places to live in the world. Our land limited region will continue to increase density to allow for more housing and people and these select locations will set a new bar for the city’s architecture while adding to our skyline. In fact, these true skyscrapers are under a special set of guidelines which call for new benchmarks in architectural creativity and excellence to significantly contribute to the beautification of our skyline. They must be leaders in sustainability with massive reductions in energy consumption and assist in Vancouver’s desire for carbon neutrality. Additionally, these higher buildings must also make significant community contributions with low cost housing, social facilities, open spaces and gathering places as well as pay extensive attention to the street-level experience with landscaping, walkways and more. In other words, these buildings will not just significantly impact our iconic skyline but also continue to make our downtown dynamic, walkable and full-service.

Vancouver is also well known for picturesque water and mountain views so perhaps the most exciting detail of these skyscrapers will be that they literally “tower” above the rest of the city making for some truly breathtaking panoramic views!