Vancouver City Council has given the thumbs-up to a zebra-like tower set to climb 57 storeys above Burrard and Nelson Streets. After an exhaustive two days of public hearings that considered a deluge of concerns by local residents, the West End development has been given licence to proceed.

Rendering of the First Baptist Church Tower, image via Bing Thom Architects

Put forward by Westbank and First Vancouver Baptist Church, the project includes two buildings located next to the 107-year-old place of worship, which would undergo an extensive restoration, with a new 37-space daycare, gymnasium, offices and a cafe provided. The main tower, designed by Bing Thom Architects to resemble two massive pipe organs, will contain 331 market strata units over its 168-metre-tall frame. Its seven-storey sibling will be occupied by 61 social housing units.

Rendering of the First Baptist Church Tower, image via Bing Thom Architects

The market tower aims to reinvent the typical highrise typology by introducing verdant outdoor gardens on each level, fostering a sense of community and social interaction between neighbours. These naturally ventilated breezeways will have the added benefit of reducing the building's energy usage by up to ten percent. 

How the two-building development will meet the street, image via Bing Thom Architects

A number of residents had lodged complaints about the proposal, with particular grievances targeting the height, scale and footprint of the main tower, which would shadow the neighbouring Patina building at 1028 Barclay Street. Combined with the 500-stall parking garage, residents feel the development disregards the commitment to sustainable growth outlined in the West End Community Plan. But with a growing population, the high cost of housing, and limited developable land remaining on the downtown peninsula, the increasing verticality of the core seems like a natural and predictable response.

A column of breezeways provides a place for neighbourly interaction, image via Bing Thom Architects

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