Approval Secured for Vancouver’s First Supertall Building Project

Plans for the Georgia + Abbott development in Canada, featuring Vancouver’s first supertall building, have secured a significant milestone with city council approval. Once constructed, this will be the tallest tower in Western Canada.

Project Overview

The mixed-use project, designed by Henriquez Partners Architects and developed by Holborn, spans over three million square feet across three interconnected sites on West Georgia Street and Abbott Street. The centerpiece will be a 1,033-foot hotel tower featuring a “forest in the sky,” surpassing the 300-meter mark that defines a supertall skyscraper.

A spokesperson for Holborn informed Newsweek of the approval, explaining that it is a crucial milestone. Approximately five years will be needed for design development, technical studies, permitting, and other approvals before construction can start.

Public Hearing and Rezoning

The approval came after a public hearing in July when the city council reviewed an addendum filed earlier this year that consolidated the development sites. Part of the approval conditions includes rezoning a Holborn-owned parking lot into a social housing tower with a child-care facility and an Indigenous art gallery.

“The site is really underutilized from a public benefit perspective,” noted Vancouver councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung, according to CBC. “This council is fully committed to a vibrant Vancouver.”

Project Benefits

The development aims to create new public spaces, enhance transit connectivity, support tourism, and drive significant employment and investment. Renderings shared with Newsweek feature an updated design of the public plaza, highlighting Indigenous art and community spaces integrated throughout the project.

However, the approval has sparked debate regarding the skyscraper’s scale and the developer’s history, with concerns about height exemptions and delays in a previous Holborn social housing project.

Design Inspiration

The project draws inspiration from British Columbia’s rare glass-sea-sponge reefs. According to Holborn, these ancient marine structures influenced the tower’s architecture, noted for its strength and resilience, from its exoskeleton to sculptural residential balconies.

Housing and Amenities

Holborn states the Georgia + Abbott project will deliver 1,783 homes, including market, rental, and non-market housing, alongside 237 social housing units. The development also plans for a child-care facility and an Indigenous art gallery to be transferred to the city upon completion.

Beyond housing, the project aims to reconnect Vancouver’s central business district with Gastown, Chinatown, and the Downtown Eastside, contributing to downtown revitalization. The design targets net-zero operational carbon and a significant reduction in embodied carbon beyond the municipal baseline.

Holborn describes replacing underutilized downtown parking sites with vibrant mixed-use destinations as combining “internationally significant architecture and substantial public benefits.”