The Hornby Slopes neighbourhood in Vancouver could look substantially different in a few years if British property developer Grosvenor goes through with a 39-storey condominium tower slated for the former location of the Il Giardino Restaurant. If approved, 1380-1382 Hornby Street would give rise to a 114-metre highrise under a scheme designed by Montreal-based ACDF Architecture and IBI Group.

Rendering of Grosvenor Pacific, image via ACDF Architecture

Approximately 212 homes, including a collection of townhomes, would be added to Vancouver's flaming hot housing market if the project, formally known as Grosvenor Pacific, moves ahead. Leslie House, the structure that contained the upscale Italian restaurant, is protected by a Heritage Revitalization Agreement, which recognizes the architectural and cultural value of the 1888-built Queen Anne style house. As part of the development, the building will be restored and incorporated into the overall plan. The concept for the site also devotes parking space for 238 vehicles and 266 bicycles. 

Integration with the heritage house, image via ACDF Architecture

Unlike most glass-dominated condominium towers, Grosvenor Pacific would feature a broad range of cladding materials to really make the building shine. While there will indeed be glass, the primary exterior elements would constitute a massive brushed stainless steel frame and horizontal bands of white stone. The Hornby Street elevation would be punctuated by a pattern of triangular balconies that add depth to the tower and serve as outdoor extensions to residents' living space. The architects envision tall corten steel columns defining the ground plane experience, evoking memories of the single-family houses that once dominated this area of Vancouver.

Triangular balcony divots line the Hornby Street facade, image via ACDF Architecture

The initial application for rezoning was submitted in December 2015, but now the City has received an application addendum to bring the adjacent abandoned property at 801 Pacific Street into the project's scope. For this site, the applicant — in partnership with the non-profit organization BC Artscape — has proposed a seven-storey City-owned cultural facility that would be clad in a mix of transparent and translucent glass. Preliminary renderings also indicate the architects' attempt to integrate the building's design vocabulary with that of the condominium tower, by employing white metal panelling and corten steel accents. The building would contain a mix of cultural program spaces, with a gallery and community space likely occupying the ground floor, and a rehearsal area above. Interested members of the public have been invited to a community open house on October 26, 2016 at the Holiday Inn (1110 Howe Street), where City staff and the applicants will be on hand to outline the proposal and answer questions.

Rendering of Leslie House and the proposed cultural facility, image via ACDF Architecture

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