A transformative development inspired by BC’s glass sea sponge

The three project sites at 501 & 595 West Georgia Street and 388 Abbott Street will provide a comprehensive mixed-use development that supports the City’s and Metro Vancouver’s goals to provide commercial job space in the Central Business District, increase hotel rooms downtown, and deliver a broad spectrum of housing types including Social Housing, Rental and Condominiums at a major transit node.

The architectural expression of the project tells a story that is unique to British Columbia and inspired by rare and ancient glass sea sponge reefs — living structures found off the BC coast that demonstrate strength and adaptability. This natural metaphor is expressed not only in distinct silhouettes and the sculptural form of its tallest tower, but in their environmental performance towards a net-zero carbon operation. Informed by the sea sponge’s structural ingenuity and ecological purpose, the towers offer a uniquely Vancouver expression of sustainability, beauty, and vertical urbanism.

In total, the development will create 1,939 new homes, a 920-room hotel, 70,000 ft² of much-needed conference space, Indigenous-led reconciliation through art, and introduce major public amenities across both sites. This transformative project will serve as a major economic catalyst for downtown Vancouver, creating thousands of construction and permanent jobs. By bringing a critical mass of residents, workers, and visitors into the core, the project will contribute to the creation of a more vibrant, welcoming, and safer downtown.

The project is composed of three concurrent rezonings on three sites:

388 Abbott Street, is a 402 ft tall tower with an 8-storey podium and 30-storey tower above. It is proposed to be 100% 378 City-owned Social Housing units. Level 1 is proposed as a Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh (MST) gallery, with three artists-in-residence studios for MST artists. The podium above, levels 2 to 8, consist mainly of studio units. A 37-child Daycare is proposed at the podium roof level with an associated outdoor play space. Levels 10 to 37 consist of a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom social housing units. Amenity rooms and an outdoor amenity space is proposed on the roof of the tower.

595 West Georgia Street is a 1,033 ft tall hotel tower. The tower is topped by a restaurant and publicly accessible rooftop observation deck, which will be free for Vancouverites to visit. The ground floor consists of a cafe / bar and restaurant as well as serving as the lobby for the hotel and conference facilities in the tower above. Level 2 of the podium has a lobby for access to the observation deck. Levels 3 to 8 consist of Conference facilities. The roof of the podium has an outdoor amenity for the hotel including a cafe / bar and indoor pool. Level 10 has additional conference meeting rooms; levels 11 to 25 consist of 240 long term stay hotel rooms; and, levels 31 to 64 are for 680 short term stay hotel rooms.

501 West Georgia Street consists of two towers on a 3-storey podium. The north tower is a 783 ft tall market residential building with a shared rooftop amenity deck. The south tower is 889 ft tall with market rental at the base and market residential above. The podium rooftop is a shared outdoor amenity space for all residents. The podium consists of retail at grade and two levels of interior residential amenity space on levels 2 and 3. A mid-block mews connects to the 595 West Georgia Street plaza.