News   Mar 28, 2024
 197     0 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 208     0 
News   Mar 28, 2024
 268     0 

Foster's Jameson House to launch in Vancouver

W

wyliepoon

Guest
Canadian Architect:

Link to article

Foster and Partners' Jameson House set to launch in Vancouver
3/30/2006


Jameson House is the first mixed-use residential building in North America designed by world-renowned architecture and design firm, Foster and Partners. The architects are bringing their signature vision to Vancouver, the world's most livable city, championing sustainable design with the innovative mix of retail, office and residential spaces. The 37-storey glass tower is located in the heart of downtown's heritage district at 838 West Hastings Street. Construction will begin in summer of 2006 with a scheduled completion date of fall 2009.

The London, England-based Foster and Partners is led by Lord Foster who in 1999 became the 21st Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate. The studio is currently working on Beijing's new airport, the largest terminal in the world and the second World Trade Center Tower in New York. Past projects include Swiss Re's London Headquarters; the Reichstag - new German Parliament – in Berlin; Research Centres for Stanford University in California; Hearst Headquarters in New York; and HSBC Headquarters in Hong Kong.

"Jameson House is a powerful distillation of a number of Foster and Partners' key themes that have evolved over many years. It is a historic building that has required a sensitive response to Vancouver's heritage district," said Nigel Dancey, senior partner at Foster and Partners. "It is also mixed use, providing high-density accommodation in the downtown area, and a more sustainable strategy for the future of the city. Finally, it is a high quality residential development, which maximizes views to the waterfront. These factors combine to make this project an exciting articulation of our design philosophy as well as a model for contemporary urban living."

Foster and Partners is the building's lead architect and on this rare occasion Foster and Partners is also the interior designer. Jameson House is the first residential tower in the world with the Foster-designed modern, custom-built kitchen including illuminated backsplash and a cantilevered island countertop which may be lowered or raised for bar seating or dining seating. In addition, Foster and Partners is working in collaboration with Vancouver architect Walter Francl and heritage consultant and architect Robert Lemon to design a landmark building that will be a benchmark for future developments.

The brilliance of the project extends to the building's unique curved shape, designed to complement the surroundings, sustainable performance and urban living concept. Jameson House will include the restoration of the 1921 Ceperley Rounsfell Building and the retention of the façade of the Royal Financial Building. The vision for designing this landmark building has been to refer to the historic setting, where the old inspires the new, and the new enriches the old.

Designed for the future while honouring the past, Jameson House offers Vancouver a new legacy with exclusive amenities appealing to residents in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and around the globe. Amenities include 24-hour concierge service, membership to Vancouver's elite Business club, Terminal City Club, and touch screen panel for centralized control of the entertainment, lighting, heating and security system in the home.

Jameson House will be home to North America's first fully automated non-pallet car park. The computerized parking system has been proven for over forty years in European countries including Germany, Switzerland and Italy and will now be introduced in Canada. To park a car, users pull into the secure transfer station, lock the vehicle and with the swipe of a card activate the system. Then a mechanized shuttle will quickly and safely park the car in the underground parkade. The valet of the future is convenient by saving both space and time while increasing security for the owner and vehicle. When the owner is ready to depart, it will take an estimated 90 seconds to retrieve the car.

"The architecture and interior design by Foster and Partners is truly of extraordinary calibre and goes beyond luxury," said Bob Rennie, Principal of Rennie Marketing Systems. "Residences of Jameson House will have the exciting opportunity to experience world-class architecture, amenities and the benefits of sustainable living in the city. As Vancouver's downtown district continues to experience a shortage of office space, the building's 77,000 square feet of commercial property is the right balance," continues Rennie.

Jameson House will feature a total of 131 residences on floors 14 through 37. Residences range in size from 600 to 3,551 square feet with most homes priced from $600,000 to $2.5 million. The development's limited edition "O" residences on floors 14 to 20 offer curvaceous organic interiors and signature finishes at approximately 900 to 970 square feet. The exquisite penthouses located on the two top floors boast spectacular harbour and city views. Pricing of the penthouses is available upon request.

Jameson House is designed to exceed the aspirations of LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a hallmark for sustainable design excellence around the globe. Sustainable materials have been specified for the construction of the project as well as a waste-and-energy-conscious approach to construction and site management. Mixed-use is fast becoming an international standard, as the benefits become more widely acknowledged with Jameson House and Foster and Partners at the forefront.

For more information, please visit www.jamesonfoster.com.

www.jamesonfoster.com
Site has exterior and interior renderings
 
Shrug... doesn't do anything for me. Foster must assign juniors from the firm to deal with the colonies.
 
I agree 3D. I was just on Van and saw a large rendering for it and was "ugly ass building" For that matter the Shangri-la hoarding is up and is covered in huge renderings. It was rather ugly as well. I thought it was too "polished" looking. Stinks of nouveau riche. bleh
 
Topped out a while back - pics posted on SSP by Locked In today.
The back side of the rounded protrusions are solid [structural] concrete and appear that they'll remain exposed.
Those protusions cantilever out over a heritage building. The south side (not shown) is pretty ugly.

My photos, today:

IMG_4280.jpg

Full Size

IMG_4281.jpg

Full Size

IMG_4283.jpg

Full Size

IMG_4284.jpg

Full Size

Delerium's pic (taken from a nearby building) on Nov. 11, 2010:

from today.
IMGP6290.jpg

by me

South side by me, Nov. 9. 2010:

 
Last edited:
I hope they installed that parking system and that it becomes more commonplace.

In terms of the building itself, for a big name like Foster, it doesn't seem to be that interesting beyond the 'silo' side. Even the distinguishing "silos" seem to be dull and predictable references to Le Corbusier.
 
Not sure - nothing's been mentioned about it recently. Presumably they did though.

The marketing behind it was false. The system in question has never been used in Europe for years. And I heard credible rumours that installer wasn't going to pull it off.

This is why I am wondering.
 
The current website:

http://www.jamesonfoster.com/

still has a mechanical parking system shown.

BOSA took over the project after Jameson Developments went under due to the credit crunch a few years ago.
BOSA could have changed the system to be installed.
 
This one turned out really well. Not sure I like the concrete sections- looks a bit stark. But the form and finishing are recognizably Foster. Can't wait for a proper Foster tower to be built in Toronto.
 
I can't wait for a proper Foster anything to be built in Toronto... doesn't have to be a tower. I love his stuff... a Foster on the waterfront would be spectacular.
 
The current website:

http://www.jamesonfoster.com/

still has a mechanical parking system shown.

BOSA took over the project after Jameson Developments went under due to the credit crunch a few years ago.
BOSA could have changed the system to be installed.

Those are just file photos, so yeah, that's what I'm wondering. I guess I'll contact the developer.
 

Back
Top