In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.

One Wall Centre's two-toned glazing, image by Marcus Mitanis

The 48-storey One Wall Centre was the tallest building in Vancouver when it was completed in 2001. Despite two towers eclipsing its height in the years since, the residential and hotel building has maintained its visual prominence in the skyline. It was that anticipated visual impact that initially concerned the Vancouver Planning Department when the plans were first presented to them. As a booming hub for commerce, tourism, and film, with a growing population looking for places to live, skyscrapers were naturally going to be part of the evolving cityscape. When developer Peter Wall and architect Perkins+Will proposed their vision for a reflective elliptical tower, City planners expressed worry about the cladding's potential overbearing impact on the skyline. They only granted approval after negotiations with the developer, in which an agreement was struck to cover the building in a translucent facade.

One Wall Centre undergoes recladding on the upper levels, image by Flickr user daryl_mitchell via Creative Commons

When the installation of the glass began, planners took notice of its darker tint. Believing that the conditions of approval had been breached, the City immediately requested a change in the building's cladding. Faced with headstrong opposition, the following clash between the two parties boiled over when both sides launched lawsuits, grabbing headlines across Canada in the process. Eventually, Wall and the City effectively met in the middle: the darker glass would be permitted up to the 31st floor across the entire hotel component of the building, but the residential floors above would need to display the lighter facade originally envisioned by the City.

One Wall Centre as it stands today, image by Flickr user Colin Campbell via Creative Commons

However, problems with this lighter glass became apparent almost immediately. The non-reflective nature of the glazing made residences unbearably warm, contributing to higher-than-normal air-conditioning bills. The seals on the floor-to-ceiling windows were also failing prematurely, allowing moisture and air to seep into the building. Yet another lawsuit was filed in 2011, this time by residents, over the glass skin on the upper section. The strata council and developer agreed to share the cost of removing the lighter glazing and replacing it with a darker tone that would mostly match the exterior of the hotel floors below. Today, One Wall Centre's two-toned origin is invisible to the naked eye, but the highly publicized ordeal has been ingrained into its history. It calls attention to the importance of the planning process, the subjectivity of "good architecture," and the intransigence that can put a halt to landmark skyscraper developments.