This Arthur Erickson legacy is a spiraling triumph of luminous glass and contoured concrete framework. The luxurious 17-storey, 61-residence landmark towers 61.05 metres high into the Vancouver skyline. It features a signature structural twist that allows panoramic views of the waterfront, the North Shore mountains, and the city. Each floor contains three units, 2,200 SF in size, all with direct elevator access, large exterior balconies and extensive glazed glass areas. Anchoring the tower base are eleven 2-storey, 2,500 SF townhomes, each with cantilevered “green” roofs. Completed in July 2009, the crowning jewel of this Arthur Erickson legacy is the two level, 10,000 SF penthouse – resplendent with a private pool, lobby, and two car garage.
The tower’s structural twist, with floors rotating first counter-clockwise and then clockwise, is reminiscent of a wave. This REVIT assisted design provided Glotman•Simpson with structural challenges, as each floor layout was different relative to the floor below. Designing exterior building columns to slope in opposite directions offset the majority of the lateral torsional dead loading that would have otherwise induced additional demand on the seismic load resisting system.
Additionally, the design water table elevation at the Erickson site was at finished grade, so the below grade structure was required to resist induced hydro static water pressures. Extending down to the impermeable soil below the lowest parking level, the basement walls include water proofing admixtures, rather than a traditional externally applied membrane, to prevent water from infiltrating the parking structure.
Images: © Bob Matheson