When we last visited 475 Howe Street in Vancouver, the site of an under-construction 31-storey office project called The Exchange, the first few concrete floor slabs were just coming together. In the time since, the development by SwissReal Management Inc. and Credit Suisse has rocketed skywards, with sharp curtain wall glazing and vertical fins articulating the exterior expression of the building.

Putting the building in context, image by Forum contributor mcminsen

The contemporary tower features a design fashioned by Harry Gugger Studio and Iredale Group Architecture. Rising beside and behind the Gothic Revival-style building that formerly housed the Vancouver Stock Exchange, a triple-glazed skin has begun coating the tower, which is bulging outwards as it ascends. The modern interiors of the addition will be integrated with the restored insides of the 1929-era building.

Glazing has begun application on the first cantilever, image by Forum contributor mcminsen

The gradual stratification of the building's profile, combined with its chamfered corners, reduce the visual mass of the tower. By recessing the new building's footprint away from the existing structure, the heritage facade can continue to anchor the streetscape as it has done for decades.  

The Exchange climbs above the historic building block, image by Forum contributor mcminsen

With integrated geo-exchange thermal regulators, solar panels, and a stormwater retention system planned, The Exchange could become the second largest LEED Platinum building in Canada upon certification. To be completed in 2017, the project will accompany a new breed of office towers in the city, including MNP Tower by Kohn Pedersen Fox and Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership's 745 Thurlow.

An aerial view from the project's webcam, image by The Exchange

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