Between Luxury and an Urban Oasis: PARQ Vancouver by ACDF Architecture

PARQ Vancouver acts as a gap-filler between the BC Place stadium to the north and the hip shoreline district of Yaletown to the south. The multifunctional building wraps around the neighbouring oval stadium - indeed, it practically cuddles right up to it. On the opposite side, there are two main façades that face the street. ACDF Architecture, Architecture49 and IBI Group have designed the structure with fluid forms and faces polished to a high gloss. The corners are rounded; various materials meet in soft curves.

A slightly recessed plinth forms the base of the complex. Parts of this area are set on columns; the entrances are marked by rising higher in a few spots. Above these, PARQ Vancouver consists of a single, compact volume. Three structures that develop into towers sit atop the base level. The south side of the building reflects its surroundings in a copper-coloured curtain façade with vertical ventilation slats. Together, these form an irregular pattern that creates yet more vibrancy. The architects have clad the view that faces the stadium, as well as the higher elements, in sleek glazing.

The spatial program is a combination of various uses: while commerce and gastronomy are accommodated on the ground floor in order to attract passers-by, the second and third levels are home to a large casino, areas for conferences, meetings and events, and banquet rooms. Two luxury hotels featuring fitness studios and spas are distributed over the three towers of the multifunctional complex. As the crowing glory, ADCF Architecture, Architecture49 and IBI Group have integrated a lush rooftop garden on top of the sixth upper storey, making PARQ Vancouver into a small, hidden green oasis in the middle of the city.