October 15, 2020
Concord Pacific/Adex wins two major distinctions at the 2020 BILD Awards
Concord Pacific/Adex wins two major distinctions at the 2020 BILD Awards, its 40th anniversary. The association, which recognizes Greater Toronto area’s best and brightest in the land development and new home industry, awarded High-Rise Project of the Year to Concord Canada House and Best International Project of the Year to The ARC (Vancouver).
Concord Canada House, Concord Adex’s flagship building located at Spadina and Bremner, adjacent to the CN Tower, adorned with the backdrop of the largest cosmopolitan skyline in the country on one side while simultaneously revealing the sunrise along Lake Ontario’s infinite horizon on the other. This is the final project in completing the expansive Concord CityPlace neighbourhood at the southernmost tip of downtown Toronto. Standout features of the project include a swimming pool housed on the 68th floor SkySpa, making it the highest residential amenities in the country with unprecedented views of the city staring over Canada’s global landmark. Adding to this monumental feat, an urban backyard outdoor skating rink sits atop of the massive podium level, serving as a duo purpose amenity which transforms into a reflective pond with manicured gardens in the summer. Symbolizing as an important ode to our Canadian culture, the outlining curvature of the skating rink and strategically placed snow covered landscaping hedges mimics right off the map the silhouette shape of Ottawa’s Rideau Canal, a nationally renowned destination for its Skateway. In addition, a replica 19th Century schooner will be displayed at the pond in tribute to the one we uncovered a few years back during an excavation within Concord CityPlace. To top it all off, tower sized maple leafs will be designed onto the exterior facade of the project, spanning a sizable portion of the building’s height and symbolizing the embodiment of our Canadian spirit through this and pairing it with what its project namesake suggests.
The ARC by Concord Pacific, represents everything that this new generation of Vancouverism symbolizes and has been waiting for. In this 2.0 iteration, this project rises within the midst of a robust waterfront master planned community three decades deep, a Concord neighbourhood that has transformed Yaletown into arguably the busiest and most vibrant live, work and play area in Metro Vancouver. Traversing the popular Cambie Street Bridge from the city into the entertainment district, The ARC stands proudly at the foot of the bridge at the corner of Expo Blvd and Nelson St., acting as the gateway to Downtown Vancouver. The 30 storey ARC building responds to its unique site and vibrant urban context by its organic shape and undulating façade, which is inspired by natural elements like the wind and shoreline. Its curves are meticulously crafted to achieve desired perspectives from all angles, while providing maximum shading and views for its 560 suites. With an articulated building exterior and fluid landscape design, this development is perceived as a light and welcoming building for both vehicular and pedestrian experience as they move around the building. The perspectives vary as you approach the site, making The ARC a very animated and unique development in this dynamic part of Downtown Vancouver. A sky high swimming pool, connecting both condo towers of the project from up above, allows swimmers to fly high while looking down a significant 19 floors through the pool’s clear acrylic (glass) bottom onto the commercial plaza below. The pool is the highest of its kind in Canada. The acrylic glass reveal is 38 feet by nearly 9 feet and was a massive challenge accepted and completed by the Walter Francl Architects and Glotman Simpson Engineers teams. To give context, the span that supports the pool and all of the homes above is supporting the weight of approximately 1650 cars. It is the most expensive price per square foot condo amenity ever built in Canada, as there are only three companies in the world that could make the pool bottom and only one in North America. Concord wanted to make this new building a bold statement for the people who live there and have a dramatic impact on the gateway to their Vancouver. Interior design group LIV Design Studio also made a bold statement with an “Ode to Canada” Maple Leaf ceiling design at the amenities Sky Lounge to give the building an entirely different look back lit by night.
The BILD Awards were announced September 15-17, for more information see https://bildawards.ca/
