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IBI Group • Vancouver, British Columbia

The new 50-story Hotel Georgia tower, in Vancouver, British Columbia, designed by IBI Group. Photo: Bob Matheson
Standing at 158 meters (518 feet), a new 50-story residential tower has been built adjacent to the recently refurbished Hotel Georgia (1927) in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The tower was designed by the Vancouver office of IBI Group, known as IBI/ HB Architects. The combined mixed-use building, all of which bears the hotel's name, has hotel and commercial office space in the first 11 storys, with residential units on the upper 34 storys.
The facade of the renovated Hotel Georgia (1927), originally designed by Robert T. Garrow and John Graham. Photo: Bob Matheson
The shape of the tower is unusual. The first 35 floors angle outward on the building's south and east sides, providing passive solar shading and views of downtown Vancouver. The top dozen floors of the building lean back so that the balconies on the southeast corner have views of Seymour and Grouse mountains to the north.

The 11-story base of the new tower pays homage to the architectural detailing of the original Hotel Georgia.  The original hotel's terra cotta quoins were used to determine the color, size, and proportion of the stone panels covering the base of the new tower.
Typical residential floor plan of the Hotel Georgia tower. Image: IBI Group

The skin of the Hotel Georgia tower is a high performance curtain wall, with photovoltaic cells incorporated into the building's southwest elevation, which receive the site's highest exposure to direct sunlight. A number of conservation were employed to curtail energy use and decrease the adverse effects of conventional HVAC, electrical fixtures, and water consumption. Using ground-loop heat-exchange piles beneath the tower heat pumps provide heating and cooling to the tower's HVAC system.

The energy collected by the photovoltaics operates the motorized blinds in the building. This automated system manages heat gain through the building's glass curtain wall. The building also has operable windows in all the suites. A roof-top water tank and swimming pool provide back-up reservoirs for the building's fire suppression system. And low-flow fixtures were installed in all the suites.
The main entry of the Hotel Georgia tower, in Vancouver, British Columbia, designed by IBI Group. Photo: Bob Matheson
Building Details
  • Official name: Hotel Georgia
  • Location: 667 & 669 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 1C7, Canada
  • Area: 32,814 sq. m
  • Height (to tip): 158.45 m
  • Number of Floors: 50
The new upper 34 floors of the Hotel Georgia tower, are residential units, while the lower floors are hotel and commercial space. Photo: Bob Matheson
Project Credits
  • Client: Hotel Georgia Redevelopments
  • Architects/Designers: IBI/HB Architects
  • Collaborators: Endall Elliot (Hotel Renovation)
  • Project Manager: Scott Construction
  • Design Team: James Hancock, Reinhilde Heyvaerts
  • Structural Engineers: Glotman Simpson
  • Mechanical Engineers: Cobalt Engineering
  • Electrical Engineers: Nemetz and Associates
  • Landscape Architect: Perry + Associates
  • Interior Designer: Mitchel Freedland Design
  • Building Envelope: Morrison Hershfield
  • Project End Date: September 2012
  • Photographers: Bob Matheson
  • Media Contact: James Hancock
Hotel Georgia Tower section drawing. Image: IBI Group
Hotel Georgia Tower ground-floor plan drawing. Image: IBI Group

Hotel Georgia Tower amenity-level floor plan. Image: IBI Group
Hotel Georgia Tower south elevation drawing. Image: IBI Group

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Amazing pictures thanks for share on your blog.
Solar Blinds

spencer said...

It's has such gorgeous eyes to renovate every thing. I can never get enough of her~ Cleaner’s wellington

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