Reporter John Bermingham answers some key questions about this new jewel
John Bermingham
Province
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How will Living Shangri-La alter the Vancouver skyline? At 60 storeys and 196 metres, this behemoth at Georgia and Thurlow will exceed the current tallest building in the city — the Wall Centre — by more than 50 metres. It promises spectacular views of Stanley Park, English Bay, Coal Harbour and downtown. Why are building heights in Vancouver limited to 180 metres? Why not go for a Manhattan skyline? Back in 1997, city planners agonized over how to create a more interesting skyline without blocking out the North Shore mountains. Heights had been pegged at 137 metres for years. They even considered a 228-metre ceiling, but eventually chose a dome-shaped skyline with a central cluster of buildings rising to a 180-metre maximum. How do you protect such a tall building against earthquake? The concrete core around the elevators takes the seismic load. The core allows the building to move a little in an earthquake, but stops it from falling over. How many elevators will there be in the building? Will some be private? There will be 12 elevators — three for the live-work section, in which residents may run a business from their home, three in the hotel, two for the residential floors and one freight elevator. There will be no private elevators.
How many workers will be needed to build it? What’s the most dangerous job in the project? And how many storeys will be built per week? It’s estimated that about 1,000 construction workers will be involved, erecting more than one storey per week at the height of activity. The crane operators and concrete-forming guys have the toughest jobs, because they work so high up in the open air. What is so special about the Living Shangri-La Hotel? This will be the first Shangri-La hotel in North America and the first new hotel in the city since Vancouver got the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Asian hotel group is well known for its five-star luxury service, including 24-hour butler service. What is in a deluxe hotel room? At 50 square metres, each room will be twice the size of a standard hotel room. The bathrooms will be a spacious nine square metres. Every room will have a Sensurround stereo system and windows that open. What about the $13-million penthouse? The top floor can be one single luxury apartment or three separate units. It will have a 630-square-metre rooftop garden and possibly a swimming pool. It will have clear 360-degree views of Vancouver. It’s currently for sale. What will the rooftop garden look like? The garden “crown,” currently being designed by landscape architects, will reflect the city’s natural look, with local plants and trees. It’s for resident use only. There will also be a herb garden on the roofs of the restaurants nearer to ground level. On the ground floor, what can people expect to see? There will be an Urban Fare grocery store, four restaurants and a number of retail stores. A public sculpture garden and walkway will feature art installations curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery. During the day, the glass will reflect the changing light. At night, there will be glowing solar-powered lights. The roof lighting will have a “lantern effect.” How will Living Shangri-La affect city viewscapes? As the most dominant building on the block, it will sport the best views of Vancouver. The penthouse will be the highest home in the city, with the best view. Some views from nearby buildings will be affected. It’s billed as the greenest-ever building in the city. Why? Living Shangri-La will be energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable. All of its building materials and glazing will reduce energy load. What’s cool about architect James Cheng’s design? Why does the building appear triangular in shape? Cheng, an exciting architect who designed the Terminal City Club tower and the Virgin Records site, wanted a landmark building that was world-class. The building’s elegant shape was designed to limit its blocking sightlines of the mountains. By cutting off two corners of an otherwise-square building, more views from the buildings alongside and behind it are preserved. Where are the other six sites for 180-metre skyscrapers? 550 Burrard is the only other site already pegged for a 180-metre skyscraper. The other potential sites, with heights now below 180 metres, are at 801 and 1030 West Georgia, 401 Burrard and at 550 Bute and 1178 West Pender. As well, city planners have recently had an inquiry about another possible skyscraper at 1153 West Georgia. INSIDE THE LIVING SHANGRI-LA – The 60th storey will include a penthouse suite expected to sell for $13 million. – Floors 43 to 60 will consist of some 66 private-access “residential estates.” Prices will run from $1.5 milllion for the two-bedroom homes to that cool $13 million for the penthouse on the 60th floor. Suites will feature top-of-the-line fittings and fixtures as well as private balconies. Between the 48th and 53rd floors, trees will fill an arboretum — and that’s in addition to the city’s highest rooftop garden, a private, 630-square-metre den of native trees and plants. – Floors 16 to 42 will feature one- and two-bedroom condos ranging in price from $400,000 to $1 million. At between 54 and 145 square metres, they’ll be spacious, but not as spacious as the penthouse, which will sprawl across 900 square metres. These are live-work residential units under the city’s new zoning scheme, intended to accommodate the needs of people who run a business out of their home. – The first 15 floors will house 120 deluxe hotel rooms operated by the five-star Shangri-La Hotel chain from Southeast Asia — and the city’s biggest spa. Ground-floor amenities will include a fitness centre, hot tub and swimming pool. There will also be a public sculpture garden and walkway linking Georgia, Thurlow and Alberni. © The Vancouver Province 2004 |
