Reinvigorating its imortance as the centre of Vancouver's downtown core, PWL Partnership led a multi-disciplinary team in the redesign of 10 blocks of iconic Granville Street. The redesign has created a unique, adaptable, multi-purpose streetscape that functions alternately as shopping street, entertainment district, transit corridor and public event space.
The development of the Canada Line, which tunnels under the Granville Street corridor, set the stage for the complete renovation of this iconic city street, and has resulted in a unified and highly functional streetscape that is the centerpiece of the downtown core. With a palette of durable, affordable, simple and distinctive materials, the redesign references historic elements to create a unique multi-purpose streetscape that functions both as a shopping street, entertainment district, transit corridor and public event space.
Through rigorous public consultation and collaboration with stakeholders and City officials, the consultant team has revitalized downtown Granville Street as an adaptable, safe and distinctive public space that supports office, retail and entertainment activities. With City programming to enliven the newly-designed public corridor, the new streetscape supports a multitude of new uses in the downtown core. This combination of a commitment to creative programming with a rigorous, simple, yet distsinctive and contextual design has spelled success for one of Vancouver's most enduring and vibrant streets.