One Wall Centre, located at 1088 Burrard St. has been dubbed the two-tone lipstick container and The Death Star. It’s one of Vancouver’s tallest buildings and the tallest of the 3 towers comprising the Wall Centre. The amusing names stem from the tower’s two-tone colours and the controversy they have generated.

The prominent elliptical building was completed in 2001. Its plan approval by City Hall was based on the glass design being a light colour that would give it the appearance of a “crystal shard disappearing into the sky.” This did not sit well with the property’s developer, Peter Wall, who insisted the glass design be uniformly dark, and fit in with the other two dark-glassed tower buildings of the Wall Centre. There was a lot of controversy, since agreement to the light colour was partly what gained the building its extra height over regulations at that time. There was also some confusion at City Hall where a dark glass sample was accepted so initial construction began using dark glass. City Hall stopped work on the project, but a compromise was finally reached with light-coloured glass for the top 17 floors of residential space and with dark glass for the lower 31 floors of mainly hotel space.

All this took an ironic turn recently as condo owners in the light glass part of the tower threatened law suites since their glass windows were leaking air from improper seals, fogging up and retaining so much heat as to necessitate costly air conditioning. When a deal was finally struck, and City Hall approval was gained, the owners had their new windows and Peter Wall had his dark glass. The owners and the developer will share the 7 million dollar replacement bill.

This costly renovation which began in April 2013 was a unique feat of engineering. To install roughly 1500 glass units, an 8,000 kilogram ring platform powered by 18 motors was suspended from the top of the tower, moving down floor by floor. The new glass units were brought up in elevators, passed through the individual suites to the ring platform and then attached to the building.

The whole light and dark controversy could be seen an expensive aesthetic folly but the Wall Centre really represents the success of Vancouver’s rapid high-rise development since the 90’s, despite significant opposition. Wall Financial, of which Peter Wall is the controlling owner, is a leader in the residential development of the city.

Don Richardson

Street Photography by Denis Bouvier