Kengo Kuma's New Work | Canadian Apartment Building
| The high-rise apartment building on Alberni Street, crafted by the renowned architectural master Kengo Kuma and his architectural and urban design firm, stands proudly in Vancouver's upscale Coal Harbour, looking north to Stanley Park, like a dazzling pearl set in this increasingly narrow area. The designer's original intention was to hope that this skyscraper would no longer be a cold architectural entity, but could blend into the surrounding scenery and dance with it.
As you step into the first floor of the apartment, a lush natural landscape unfolds before your eyes. The moss-covered open-air theater, like a green ocean, under the wooden clouds, people listen to music, enjoy drama, and let the hustle and bustle of the city find a moment of tranquility here. This is not just a space of a building, but a natural stage born for urban cultural activities.
The design of the tower further complements the surrounding city and natural environment. The huge arcs elegantly outline the building's silhouette, ensuring the transparency of the neighboring buildings' views while allowing an unobstructed appreciation of the harbor and distant mountains. These large spoon-shaped arcs seem to be an extension of the warm atmosphere inside the building and the balconies spread throughout, with the wooden patterns under the eaves clearly visible, adding a unique charm to the entire building.
As for the other parts, the sturdy vertical curtain walls are made of glass, opaque aluminum, and grille panel units, quietly reflecting and filtering the ever-changing light of the Northwest Pacific, giving the building a mysterious veil.
From a distance, you will find that the building is like a towering and unique sculpture on the skyline, composed of countless visible small components. From any angle, its appearance is so different, elusive in shape, like a charming enigma, waiting for you to explore and interpret.
The high-rise apartment building on Alberni Street is not just a building, but a work of art that harmoniously blends people with nature, and the city with the environment. Here, you can feel the designer's ingenuity and also experience an intimate blend with nature and urban culture.