PARQ VANCOUVER of the PARQ
W
ith so many casinos in the US, we sometimes forget that Canada has a mature gaming market of its own – and the country has some of the world’s most striking casinos. New on that list is
Vancouver’s PARQ, a multi-purpose complex with casino, the building designed by ACDF Architecture, and Architecture49 in partnership with IBI Group. ACDF’s Maxime Frappier, Lead Design Architect, spoke with Casino International about his work on this incredible building.
Casino International: Does ACDF have an architectural specialism? Maxime Frappier: Anything where design counts. We are working on libraries, aquatic centres, housing – some of it social – we are a firm that has been able to establish a very strong design reputation across Canada, rapidly. Our approach is based on the North American way, making sure that you find efficiencies everywhere. Everything is about numbers, efficiency, but on top of that because we are French-Canadian – with a European identity in our work – we think that we bring more sophistication on top of that efficiency. The results of our design is always something very balanced between efficiency and flamboyance, and this is where we have found our space.
CI: You recently completed PARQ, which is really quite stunning… MF: Thank you. It was a big challenge, a very big challenge. The project site that was selected is juxtaposed to the huge BC sports stadium. The project needed to include two big hotels, a casino and a conference centre – and of course retail and restaurants all over. Initially, the first designs were made by a US firm and at one point it was not being accepted by the city, there was a lot of opposition. Partly this was also because of the casino component of the proposition. The casino is an existing one that was across the street, but the population needed to be reassured that it was not an additional one, but an improved one. The design was to be slightly less extravagant, but more towards celebrating Vancouver’s backdrop; it’s an amazing city, with many high-rise towers on the skyline. But it is a lovely city, so the public areas are very nice, wide sidewalks and things like
something slightly more sculptural, but at the same time also to be not overtly extravagant, but more sensual. We play a lot with contrasts to create dialogue and movement in our
“ projects, it is eye-catching. ” APRIL 2019 45
…we wanted to make
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72
