NEAR OLYMPIC VILLAGE: False Creek neighbourhood being transformed; not as crowded as downtown
Jeani Read
Province
From left and going clockwise, high-gloss white surfaces in kitchen/dining area glow with light and make the place feel bigger than it is. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
There’s that red egg chair of Arne Jacobsen’s design in foreground right, as it finds a comfortable home in the living room, which has huge windows at one end to bring in light and offer a great view; Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
Flex space layout allows privacy or wide-open spaces, depending on use. Here, the space is partially closed off for a study/home-office setup. Photograph by : Jon Murray, The Province
Jacobsen, the development, has been conceived as a contemporary Vancouver design gem. What else could it be? An iconic modernist design inspired it, was responsible for its name, and has been used to market it.
The famous “egg” chair by Arne Jacobsen, one of Denmark’s foremost modernist designers, was the symbol. That egg (a red one) has been moved all around the southeast False Creek neighbourhood, photographed in all kinds of out-of-context places on the street, lots of juxtaposition between sleek chair and funky surroundings, a great promotion.
Now that the display suite is finished, the hard-working team can take a photo of the Jacobsen chair in its proper place in the Jacobsen living room, and call it, “Finally at home.”
“Our vision was to create a true modernist flat or loft,” says Intracorp’s Don Forsgren. “It’s young, fresh, with an urban edge — but more fun than downtown Vancouver.”
Jacobsen was a mid-20th-century designer synonymous with clean, modern design, says Forsgren. So Jacobsen the development has polished concrete floors, integrated appliances and sliding panels.
“We spent a lot of time in the planning,” says Forsgren. “One side of [each] home has all the closets behind a seamless cabinet to create a clean line and the cabinets are gloss white with high reflectivity. It’s light and bright. We want it to be a blank canvas for your own design.” Even the computer station is built into this wall, to further smooth things over.
The big benefit of this effect, he says, is that the living spaces seem a lot bigger than they are, and can accommodate (as in the display suite) a huge sectional and dining for eight in a 695-square-foot home. The whole end of the suite is wall-to-wall glass, with nine-foot-two-inch ceilings. Those all-glass window walls make for maximum light.
The bedroom can be part of the living space if you open it up like a loft — or private, if you close the translucent panels. The bathrooms have met with enthusiasm, says Forsgren. The six-foot shower with rain shower head, marble vanity, large backsplash, mirrored wall with integrated storage and — yes! a full-length mirror — is going over very well. The kitchen appliances are high-end, Euro-style and sleek, as befits the whole picture.
Also key to the allure will be the new neighbourhood, says Forsgren. “This is really part of the urbanization of southeast False Creek,” he says. “It’s being driven by the new Olympic Village, and it’s going to be a very hot spot. I think there’s going to be a larger transformation than people realize — with public facilities like community centres and parks, and retail and a non-motorized marina. A lot is happening, and it will happen before the Olympic date.”
Realtor Fred Chan is one of the insiders who really gets it about southeast False Creek. “Now you can still see a few old buildings and auto shops, but in a few years the whole area will be changed,” says Chan, who’s bought two large loft units for himself and his son Alex.
Chan likes the “unique” design of Jacobsen with its brightness and glass walls, and also Intracorp’s good reputation, but location was the selling point for a variety of reasons.
“It’s only two or three minutes to Terminal and the SkyTrain station, and a minute to Main and the bus line, so it’s easy to get everywhere,” says Chan. “And, I like the density. Downtown has become too densely populated,” he says. “I like a little breathing space.”
THE FACTS
WHAT: Jacobsen is 125 loft-style homes in a six-storey building on south-east False Creek
WHERE: At 2nd Avenue and Quebec Street
DEVELOPED BY: Intracorp
SIZES: 425-1,400 sq. ft.
PRICES: $229,000 – $998,000
CONTACT: Open daily, noon to 5 p.m., 2501 Main St., 604 709-9844, www.jacobsenliving.com.
© The Vancouver Province 2007
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