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Waterfront Tower, Proposed Vancouver Building, Would Have 26 Storeys (PHOTOS)

26-Storey Tower Proposed For Vancouver Waterfront
Cadillac Fairview

Vancouver residents have a few weeks to voice their opinions on a 26-storey glass tower proposed for the city's downtown.

The Waterfront Tower would be located at 555 West Cordova St., which is currently a parking lot and sits next to the Waterfront Station transportation hub. Created primarily for office space, it would also house conference facilities, fitness and changing rooms, and a public plaza with views of the water and mountains.

Designed to maximize natural light, the energy-efficient building's specialized shape would tilt in certain directions to improve light quality and reduce glare.

The Cadillac Fairview project is designed by B+H Architects in Vancouver and Chicago/Beijing-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the latter of which is responsible for Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Tower — set to be the world's tallest when completed.

The team describes the Vancouver building as "consistent" with the city's Central Waterfront Hub Framework — the plan for organizing the important and busy waterfront area, where the SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express train, buses, and even a helipad are located.

However, that framework previously said the site could only hold an 11-storey building, said The Province. And according to the Gastown Historic Area Planning Committee, the Waterfront Tower design is 13 metres too high to meet city rules created to protect views of the North Shore Mountains, Metro News reported.

No public hearing is necessary because the site is already zoned for an office building, but it must be approved by the city's development permit board, which is scheduled to happen in March. The city is accepting emails or letters from the public until Jan. 22.

See more photos:

Proposed Waterfront Tower, Vancouver

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