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One of the most striking building proposals in recent memory cleared a major hurdle at a Thursday public hearing, where City Council unanimously provided support for the so-called "Jenga" tower. The rezoning application submitted by Francl Architecture in conjunction with Büro Ole Scheeren, made on behalf of Bosa Properties, has now been approved.
The application for 1500 West Georgia Street details a 43-storey skyscraper containing 220 market strata residential units. The building would replace a triangular single-storey retail structure at the corner of Nicola Street and Alberni Street. The trapezoidal plaza, along with the Postmodern Crown Life Place on the opposite end of the block, will be preserved.
Envisaged as a new beacon at the entrance to the core from the North Shore and Stanley Park, the tower takes the form of a system of vertically shifted modules interrupted by horizontal projections. These cantilevered elements introduce the concept of horizontal living in a highrise environment. The unique midair protrusions eschew the need for a large footprint, allowing the abutting plaza to remain intact.
The approved rezoning presented a design that is noticeably different from the original vision. The first plan called for a 51-storey tower with 235 condominiums. The building's base was also initially designed to accommodate a floating box that would have hosted a theatre. The new iteration reduces the impact on the plaza by eliminating the box entirely. It also lowered the height of the tower to satisfy view cone policies.
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