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A new proposal submitted to the City of Vancouver is seeking rezoning to permit a 24-storey, LEED Platinum office tower to rise at 400 West Georgia Street. Currently occupied by a Budget car rental facility at the southwest corner of Homer and West Georgia Streets, the proposal from Westbank Corp calls for a 91.82-metre tower with a shifting stacked box aesthetic by Merrick Architecture.
The design features a series of cubist-inspired volumes that rotate every four floors. These volumes will be constructed with structural steel beams and steel decking with a concrete layer poured above, all surrounding a cylindrical central concrete core. The steel trusses will be cantilevered from six support columns, allowing for open, column-free layouts. The decision to use steel construction was a product of the desire to have the building's structural elements visible through the glass exterior.
Documents accompanying the proposal detail a building envelope consisting of a triple-glazed curtain wall system and living green wall sections. With cantilevered volumes featuring glass-enclosed floors and ceilings, the building's office spaces will allow for ample natural light penetration and views of the cityscape below and surrounding skyscrapers above.
A total floor area of 34,135 square metres is being proposed for the site, consisting of 32,580 square metres of office uses, 536.5 square metres of retail space, 309 square metres of storage space, and 548.8 square metres of open balconies. A 160.4-square-metre mechanical penthouse level will sit above the uppermost habitable level of the tower. At street level, the building will feature a lofty lobby space with a four-storey height, along with retail and commercial uses. A 510-square-metre public space fronting onto the Homer and West Georgia intersection will help tie the new development in with the existing public realm.
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