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The tallest building west of Toronto has started its construction climb 48 storeys into the downtown Vancouver skyline.
One Wall Centre, across Burrard Street from St. Paul's Hospital, will soar 137 metres (450 feet), with development costs approaching $105 million when completed in late 2000. Making the building's height even more outstanding is its location on the highest point of land downtown.
Wall Centre (phase two) will have 600 suites and support spaces. Floors one to 30 will be hotel space, with floors 31-48 for private suites. Fifty-six luxury suites will be available starting at $575,000.
The elliptically shaped tower at the intersection of Nelson and Hornby streets will dominate the city's skyline -- likely for many years due to recently introduced height restrictions for the downtown peninsula. A 1997 city-commissioned study of the skyline pinpointed just six sites downtown for construction of towers the height of One Wall Centre.
The building is a design by the Vancouver firm Busby + Associates Architects. The prime contractor is Siemens Development.
The overall Wall Centre development covers an entire city block, bounded by Burrard, Nelson, Hornby and Helmken in the late 1980s was listed for sale at $25 million.
Already completed on the site is the 35 storey Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, an adjacent mainly residential 35 storey twin tower and the Wall Pavilion, containing the Garden Fitness Centre and the Pavilion Ballroom.
The 48-storey tower will complete development on the site.
There are many buildings around the world much taller than 48 storeys and the technology to build past 500 metres using special high strength, lightweight concrete has existed for decades.
Although One Wall Centre can be built using mainly conventional highrise methods there will be several special design and construction features.
Brian Ellis of Busby + Associates Architects, the project manager,...