Marine Gateway

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia | Canada
Architect: Perkins+Will; Vancouver, BC | Canada
Construction: Ledcor Construction, Inc., Vancouver, BC | Canada
Fabricator: Keith Panel Systems Co. Ltd., North Vancouver, BC | Canada
Year of construction: 2016
Material: ALUCOBOND® PLUS Bone White, Red Fire, Focus Black, Steel City Silver Mica, Anodic Clear Mica, and 10 custom ALUCOBOND® PLUS colors

Developed by PCI Developments Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, on a one-block former industrial site that is now a new urban town center, their goal for Marine Gateway was "to transform a vacant and underutilized four-plus acre industrial lot into a vibrant, transit-oriented mixed-use town center that combines retail, entertainment, office, residential and transit onsite,” said Andrew Grant, president, PCI Developments Corp. “PCI saw the opportunity to directly integrate with rapid and bus transit, allowing residents, workers, shoppers and visitors to live, work, shop, play and commute all in one location.”

The $372-million 820,000 square-foot Marine Gateway development features two residential towers – one 25-story 140,000-square-foot tower and one 35- story 195,000-square-foot tower – that offer a combined total of 461 market condos and rental apartments. Additionally, the development is home to a 14-story 250,000 square-foot office building and 225,000 square feet of retail space, including a three-story retail podium. Shopping and entertainment/recreation amenities include an 11-screen movie theater, a major fitness center, a supermarket and a strikingly landscaped public area dubbed “High Street” that is lined with retail stores and restaurants. Five stories of underground parking also are featured.

Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, Marine Gateway features more than 200,000 square feet of recyclable 4mm ALUCOBOND® Plus aluminum composite material (ACM) by 3A Composites USA installed as both exterior building cladding and storefront shoppers and as interior wall accents and trim. Recyclable ALUCOBOND® – which is manufactured with both post-manufacturing and post-consumer content – contributes LEED credits to building projects.

ALUCOBOND® PLUS colors selected for the development include: 95,000 square feet of Bone White, 41,000 square of Steel City Silver, 15,000 square feet of Anodic Clear Mica, 6,000 square feet of Custom Ridgedale Silver, 4,000 square feet of Custom Yellow Flash, 3,200 square feet of Red Fire, 2,400 square feet of Custom Mustard Yellow, 1,600 square feet of Custom French Burgundy, 780 square feet of CIBC Red, 255 square feet of Montreal Blue, and 250 square feet of Focus Black.

Additionally, four custom shades of green ALUCOBOND® PLUS in the Spectra color finishing system were selected as part of a unique cladding design – in combination with ALUCOBOND® PLUS in the Bone White, Clear Anodic Mica and Steel City Silver colors – for the two Marine Gateway residential towers. The custom colors include 10,000 square feet each of ALUCOBOND® Spectra Lime Zest, Spectra Mossy Forest, Spectra Rainforest and Spectra Springtime.

“We wanted to ensure the public realm and architectural elements were well-designed and visually interesting, with a variety of materials, textures and color,” said Grant. “In particular, the distinct use of color on the high-profile residential towers, the retail High Street and within the residential lobbies has created a colorful, dynamic and identifiable ‘Marine Gateway’ look that is warm and inviting.” Marine Gateway’s “modernist” architectural design incorporates a variety of materials, according to Ryan Bragg, Architect AIBC, MAA, MRAIC, LEED AP BD+C, principal, Perkins+Will Canada.

The pedestrian High Street distinguishes itself from other retail/entertainment districts, according to Bragg, with its attention to architectural detail, vibrant colors and quality materials, including ALUCOBOND® PLUS panels, wood, brick and terra cotta within steel frames. The office tower is designed with a more restrained articulated curtainwall and Custom Ridgedale Silver ALUCOBOND® PLUS panels, while the residential towers feature a unique subtly changing color palette achieved with Alucobond Spectra cladding.

In addition to exterior cladding, ALUCOBOND® in the custom Spectra Lime Zest color was uniquely installed as accent wall fascia illuminated with LED lights in residential lobbies. Residents’ mailbox and entry buzzer areas are highlighted with ALUCOBOND® PLUS accents in Red Fire and Focus Black.

Read more about how Marine Gateway has set a new standard for sustainable development here!