Designs for a new tower proposed for Vancouver's downtown core were, in part, inspired by Vancouver's iconic Lions (or Twin Sisters) mountain peaks.
The tower would be built at 902 Davie St. near the intersection with Hornby Street; currently, a series of buildings and businesses occupy the properties there, including a 7-Eleven and Popeye's Supplements store, among others.
In place of the relatively low commercial buildings, a 29-storey tower with residential, office, and commercial space (along with nine levels of underground parking) has been proposed, next to the recently opened Burrard Place project.
The design of the tower is inspired by the North Shore Mountains, note its proponents, as well as being influenced by the mountains due to view cones.
"The Lions, (Squamish: “Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn” or Twin Sisters) is one of the most famous landforms in all Western Canada and this inspired a project that, we hope, will add to the history and lore of the city," they write in the proposal.
"Images of the Lions and Coastal Range peaks and spires are held in Vancouverites memory, and the inspiration for the building we hope will be understood both intuitively and by explanation," they add a bit further down in the proposal.
Specifically, it's the peaks' "white spires" that influenced the design of the building, which aims to be snow-like.
"Our project is modelled therefore on a single snowy peak, all near white, and shaped by natural, urban, and formal ambitions into a robust, peaked mass," write the proponents.
In total, 179 residential units would be built as condominiums, with 22 studios, 67 one-bedroom units, 73 two-bedroom units, and 17 three-bedroom units.
"The envisioned project aims to provide much-needed housing stock within the Downtown neighbourhood while simultaneously improving walkability and mitigating traffic congestion given to its close proximity to the Canada Line," write the proponents, Reliance Developments, in the proposal to the City of Vancouver.
A tower of some sort has been pitched for the property multiple times before, the proponents note in their application, with design changes and updates made at the suggestion of city staff.
As of January 2025, it has made it to its rezoning application with the City of Vancouver and the public can weigh in on the idea now.
