Construction work is well underway on the exterior cladding of the future Hotel Indigo and Kirkland Tower building at The Waterfront Vancouver.
In recent weeks, crews at the site have been seen hoisting large blue-tinted glass panels into place along the lower levels of the building.
The panels are part of a “curtain wall” system that will form the outer walls of both sections of the building, according to Dana Gardner, senior project manager at Kirkland Development.
The term refers to outer walls that are not load-bearing — the building’s entire structure, including the wall panels, is supported by its internal reinforced concrete skeleton.
The design allows the building’s exterior to feature extensive glass surfaces, with floor-to-ceiling windows for the hotel portion and a pure glass exterior for the Kirkland Tower condo portion, as depicted in concept illustrations of the project.
The first couple of rows of glass and metal paneling take the longest to install, Gardner said, but the rest of the panels are expected to go more quickly aside from a few complicated spots.
Once the exterior is in place, the building should look just like the concept art when viewed from outside, Gardner said, although several more months of work will be needed to finish the interior. The project is targeting an end-of-2020 completion date.
