Ritz-Carlton Vancouver

Ritz Carlton construction site

The Ritz-Carlton Vancouver (formerly referred to as Palm Court and Vancouver's Turn) was a planned skyscraper to be built in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 58-storey, 183-metre-high (600 ft), mixed-use tower would have been located at 1133 West Georgia Street, and was scheduled to be completed in 2011. The Ritz-Carlton would have been one of the two tallest buildings in the city, along with the Shangri-La tower.

The tower, designed by architect Arthur Erickson, would have been triangular in shape, twisting gradually with height up to 45 degrees from bottom to top. The building was described as having a 'hyperbolic paraboloid' form; the design is similar to the Absolute Tower and Turning Torso highrises. The developer, Holborn Group, was aiming for LEED Silver certification for the building. The 9 level derelict building formerly occupying the site was demolished.

Project cancellation and resurrection

The project was cancelled on February 25, 2009. Buyers who purchased luxury condos in the tower received letters informing them of the project's cancellation. On June 1, 2009, Holborn Group president Joo Kim Tiah said his company still wants to see the plan completed on the prime downtown site — if the City of Vancouver wants to work with him.

On August 21, 2009, it was announced that the project would definitely resume, possibly as an even taller building (pending approval from the city) while keeping the same design by Arthur Erickson. Work on the project could resume as soon as early 2010, after the Winter Olympics (construction work will not be permitted during the Olympics). However, it was not certain as of August 21, 2009, if the Ritz-Carlton "brand" would still remain associated with the project. Developers announced August 27, 2009 that the project will proceed. They are re-proposing the project requesting a height increase from 600 ft (182.90 m) to 616 ft (187.76 m). The proposal calls for a higher number of smaller housing units with a more efficient use of floor space while keeping the exterior of the tower aesthetically unchanged (outside of the height increase). The new proposal is going through a series of public hearings before Vancouver city council votes on it in November 2009.

Hotel

The building would have been Ritz-Carlton's third Canadian hotel property (after the Montreal hotel and future Toronto hotel due to open in January 2011) and the unbuilt tower was named after the hotel. The hotel occupies the first 23 floors of the building (176 rooms), with 193 residential units above it (floors 26-66). The building would have include public green space, and an enclosed glass palm court.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Vancouver

External links

• City of Vancouver building proposal (pdf, includes pictures)
• Emporis Listing
• Vancouver Sun Article - Project Dead