One Wall Centre: 2001 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and One Wall Centre in Vancouver was selected as the 2001 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The 48-story tower uses a narrow elliptical plan to reduce its apparent width and preserve long views across the city. Hotel rooms occupy the lower 31 floors, with residences above and shops arranged around a curved podium. A landscaped plaza gives the tower breathing room at the southern edge of downtown.

Triple glazing and operable vents made the envelope unusually responsive for a North American high-rise of its period. Water tanks near the roof form part of a tuned liquid-column damper that limits movement in the slender structure while retaining their fire-suppression role. The award recognizes how the aerodynamic shape supports both the mixed program and the engineering required by the tower's proportions.

Architect: Busby + Associates Architects