Gordon Price, who heads up Simon Fraser University’s Cities Program, has some feedback on the observation tower proposed by architect Richard Henriquez for Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park.
I like the idea of a tower. There’s just something about getting to a high place with long views that’s embedded in our genes. And they’re great places to take visitors to explain the lay of the land. They give us another perspective on our own place.
We also get another ‘Henriquez.” The architect is one of the best in this part of the world, and he’s already added admired landmarks to the city: the highrise with the tree on top at English Bay for one. You can see more of his work in Price Tags 74 and Price Tags 76.
Yes, the tower will change a view as it seeks to capture others. But in a complementary way, I think, adding a vertical note to a horizontal landscape. Contrast can be good.
I’ll second the call for another “Henriquez”. It’s nice to see that some architects on Canada’s West Coast — Henriquez for one — aren’t averse to a bit of risk.
