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The mid-rise office building at 1550 Alberni Street is being dismantled to accommodate the rise of a 43-storey luxury residential skyscraper that boasts a dramatic design. Westbank and Japanese architect Kengo Kuma have teamed up to execute a building informed by its environment, with two "scoops" cutting into the facade and creating a system of deep wood-furnished balconies.
The duo have envisioned a massing and interior program substantially different from the orthogonal structure existing on the site. The two subtractions in the elevation create cantilevers that lend an amorphous and dynamic silhouette on the Vancouver skyline. At the corner of Alberni and Cardero, intersecting arched structures shield a sprawling moss garden that welcomes residents home. "In keeping with Japanese spatial traditions, the emphasis is on the atmosphere rather than the object: without drawing attention to a particular point laden with meaning, the void elicits a serene visceral experience that could be shared by all," reads the project brief on the Westbank website.
Officially known as Alberni by Kengo Kuma, the arresting Coal Harbour project caters to the most affluent buyers and investors active in Vancouver's still-scorching real estate market. Prospective purchasers will likely need a six-figure income to even have a chance at a studio, which start at over $1 million. All residents will have access to an expansive inner garden, indoor swimming pool, and rooms devoted to fitness, music and wine tasting.
Vancouverites without that kind of cash can still marvel at the unique architecture of the 188-unit skyscraper — which will partially be clad in aluminum panels — and experience some of the luxurious interiors by dining at the ground-level eatery, to be called Waketokuyama Japanese Restaurant.
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