35-storey hotel and condo tower approved for Hornby and Robson in downtown Vancouver

Vancouver City Council approved a 35-storey mixed-use tower next to Robson Square that will reshape the southwest corner of Hornby and Robson streets.

The development will replace a six-storey office and retail building that Reliance Properties acquired in 2021 for approximately $67 million. The new tower, designed by New York firm SHoP Architects with Vancouver partners Boniface Oleksiuk Politano Architects and PFS Studio, will reach 357 feet (109 metres) and include 160 hotel rooms in the first 11 floors, with 176 strata market ownership condominiums above. The residential mix includes 42 studio units, 72 one-bedroom, 44 two-bedroom, and 18 three-bedroom units.

Over 8,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will occupy the first two levels, with separate entrances for hotel and residential uses. The building's design draws inspiration from two nearby landmarks: the 1911 courthouse (now home to the Vancouver Art Gallery) and the 1979 Law Courts designed by Arthur Erickson. The tower will feature a signature balcony design and sculpted natural stone facade.

Residents will access shared indoor and outdoor amenities on the 12th floor, directly above the hotel podium. Hotel amenities occupy the third level. Only COPE city councillor Sean Orr voted against the project, which was approved without discussion under the city's expedited protocols for developments aligned with the Vancouver Official Development Plan and containing majority residential use. Recent provincial legislation eliminated public hearings for such applications.