Jameson House in Vancouver by Foster + Partners

Architecture firm Foster + Partners have unveiled images of Jameson House, a new 35-storey mixed-use tower in the heart of Vancouver and the practice’s first in Canada. Completed at the end of last year and almost fully occupied at present, the project combines the restoration of heritage buildings with new construction.

The scheme integrates two 1920s Beaux Arts structures: the entire internal double-height volume of the A-listed Ceperley Rounsfell Building (which has been returned to its original configuration) and the B-listed Royal Financial Building (whose façade has been retained).

The development comprises 11 storeys of offices and shops, topped by 23 storeys of apartments. The tower’s form articulates these different functions: the first two storeys continue the row of shop units at street level, while the uppermost office floor aligns with the cornice line of the adjacent building. Contrasting with the flush façade of the offices, the residential floors curve outwards in four wide bays, which are staggered to allow daylight to reach neighbouring buildings and oriented to provide uninterrupted views of the landscape.

The tower’s flexible plan supports a variety of apartment types, with interiors by Foster + Partners and living spaces in the deep curve of the window bays. At the top of the tower are two-storey penthouse apartments and landscaped roof terraces.