Hotel amenities part of lifestyle at Avani Centre
ROBIN BRUNET
The Vancouver Sun
How many people can honestly say they live at the gateway of a thriving new urban downtown core?
People who are buying into the new Avani Centre, a residential tower atop a seven-storey Hilton branded hotel at the southern entrance of Surrey City Centre, can lay claim to that rare distinction.
Since the plans for the 30-storey building were unveiled in May of this year, interest from prospective homeowners has been unusually strong – but that doesn’t surprise Jamie Squires, vice president of Fifth Avenue Real Estate Marketing Ltd.
She says, “Being the gateway to a new downtown core has huge benefits. You have all the new shops and services of what is truly a bustling new city centre, combined with a convergence of transit hubs that take you to all points of the compass. And then there’s the lifestyle experience of Avani Centre itself.”
The residential tower rises in a dramatically angular column, with what appears to be concrete ribs that are in fact the deep, covered decks of the structure’s 181 units. Supplied
As a gateway, it was vital that Avani make a bold visual statement in an area already recognized for its striking architecture. Montreal-based, acdf* architecture (whose work has been honoured with awards of excellence from the Ordre des architectes du Québec and the coveted Canada Governor General’s Medal in architecture) was retained to design the exterior, and it created a building whose block-like hotel base is wrapped in a shimmering curtain wall.
Above, the residential tower rises in a dramatically angular column, with what appears to be concrete ribs that are in fact the deep, covered decks of the structure’s 181 units.
The combination of hotel and condos has distinct advantages for residents. “The first living units start on the eighth floor, which means everybody has great views of the city and North Shore Mountains, the Fraser Valley, Baker and the surrounding areas,” says Squires. In addition to the tower residences, eight two-level city homes flanking 98th Avenue will also be available.
Avani homeowners will also be able to entertain guests in the hotel’s proposed wine bar or, on a pay-per-use basis, exercise in its fitness centre and swimming pool. Plus, they will have their own exclusive amenities, including an enclosed dog run on the rooftop deck and an outdoor yoga platform.
As an added touch, they will even have two entrances to choose from: their own, and via the hotel’s designer lobby.
Giraffe Design is responsible for Avani’s alluring gold and silver interiors, and the competitively priced residences range from studios at 349 square feet up to three bedroom units at 1,232 square feet, with the decks of each of these units ranging from 60 to over 200 square feet (and, because they are covered, they can be enjoyed year-round).
Each home boasts clean, angular lines with an abundance of warm wood features and floor to ceiling windows. B.C.-based Giraffe Design is renowned for its classical contemporary and traditional interior surroundings with a subtle French Canadian flair; some of its more high profile residential projects include Ascend, Zhang, and Prodigy.
Avani Centre’s immediate surroundings, City Centre, have won considerable acclaim for being a new downtown that is both architecturally creative and people-friendly. The tower is close to Central City Shopping Centre; the plethora of boutique shops and cafes that have sprung up due to the Simon Fraser University Surrey campus; and Holland Park, a welcoming gathering place with colourful horticultural displays, tree-lined promenades, water features, and public works of art.
A vast range of services is also close by, including those provided by Surrey Memorial Hospital.
City Centre is a transit hub, and when completed, “Avani Centre will provide residents direct access to New Westminster, Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver, and the Tri-cities via the King George SkyTrain station,” says Squires. “They will also be able to board the future LRT to Langley and White Rock, literally from their doorstep.”
All of this is made possible because Avani Centre’s developer, Avani Investment Group, has considerable experience in the hospitality development sector and is inspired by the vision of home being a place where hospitality happens.
Due to the strong interest shown for Avani Centre, Squires urges prospective buyers to register now. “Early VIP information is now available upon registration with the opening and sales release scheduled for early this fall, so this is really their last chance to get in at the best values,” she says. “We also have two new full showrooms that will soon be available for inspection, so be prepared to be amazed.”
Please visit www.avanicentre.com for more details.
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