Homes at The Pacific designed to feel like ‘an oasis within the city’
Mary Frances Hill
The Province
The Pacific
What: 214 condominium and townhomes in a 39-storey concrete highrise with expansive views of English Bay and the North Shore mountains.
Where: 1380 — 1382 Hornby, Vancouver (Pacific and Hornby)
Residence sizes and prices: One-to-four-bedroom homes range from 491 to 2,889 square feet, from $739,900
Developer and builder: Grosvenor Americas
Sales centre address: Suite 100 – 1050 Homer St., Vancouver
Sales centre hours: noon — 5 p.m. Saturday — Thursday or by appointment
As Vancouver’s skyline transforms and the downtown core becomes busier and more dense, the designers of the luxury interiors at The Pacific by Grosvenor Americas looked inward to create a haven for homeowners, a quiet escape from bustling urban life.
The vignettes in the display space offer a taste of simplicity and restraint with thoughtful detail to colour, neutral shade and shapes.
“We wanted each home to feel like an oasis within the city,” says Cynthia Ziolkoski, a principal designer of Square One Interiors, along with co-principal designer Jennifer Hamilton.
The designers started with a light palette that would act as a counterpoint to the vitality and sense of movement of the exterior architecture.
“A busier interior would diminish the sense of calm serenity that we have created within the overall interior colour schemes. We envision the interior as a peaceful retreat — not cluttered or overly detailed.”
Hamilton and Ziolkoski have created a display with angular accent furnishings, offset by attractive sculptural lighting design, such as the chandelier over the dining table, which resembles a futuristic mobile.
“The interior lighting and furnishings were carefully selected for their simple lines, finishes and sculptural qualities,” Ziolkoski says. “[They] are meant to complement the natural surroundings creating space and enhancing light… to create sophisticated details within the space.”
The designers focused on three statement pieces, or anchors, in the display: the kitchen island, which is “the centre of gathering in a home, the dining table, the heart of celebration of a home, and the sofa in the living area, the centre of relaxation,” Ziolkolski adds.
In contrast to these understated signature pieces, none of the accent furnishings, such as chairs, coffee table and living room seating, have solid bases. Bare, slim legs give the furnishings a lighter, more angular feel, “adding to the extra layer of detailing, yet [retaining] the sense of transparency,” she says.
Since simplicity is key, that transparency is vital to a building designed to become a landmark in the downtown core.
Much of the eye-catching detail is left to the exterior architecture. The building’s east and west sides will feature undulating balconies like ocean waves, while soffits under the balconies will reveal geometric patterns below.
Plans for the building’s extraordinary architecture had a great influence on the design process for Hamilton and Ziolkolski, particularly when it came to crafting a relationship between the layout and the stellar views of the city.
“The focus for each home and the layouts maximize views and exterior light. Movement that is created by the play of light, the water and city lights surrounds the home with a nice energy.”
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