Acton Ostry Architects

Cactus Club English Bay is purposefully positioned between a medley of street, sidewalk, heritage bathhouse, stairs, beach and stands of towering trees alongside Vancouver’s sweeping English Bay. The seaside restaurant is nestled into a sloping bank with components ordered in informal striations that reflect linear layers of ocean, beach and promenade. Ultra-clear, low-iron, triple-glass panels visually link street and surf. Infused with brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red, the sleek glass enclosure evokes the fiery brilliance of spectacular sunsets for which English Bay is renowned.

project

Cactus Club English Bay

location

Vancouver, BC

client

Cactus Restaurants Ltd., Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation

completion

2012

size

575 m2

brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red.

brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red

sustainability

LEED Gold certified

awards & recognition

2014   City of Vancouver Urban Design Award
           Vancouver Magazine Gold Award Best Casual Chain

2012    Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver Award

upper promenade.

upper promenade

Constrained on all sides with a beach to the west, a busy street to the east, a heritage building to the south and a park to the north, the site itself could serve as a microcosm of Vancouver proper. The master plan unites the wildly diverse realms through transparency, the floor plan’s fundamental design principle.

Canadian Architect

upper promenade entry.

upper promenade entry

beachside bar and terrace.

beachside bar and terrace

upper level dining.

upper level dining

stairway.

stairway

beach access and concession.

beach access and concession

English Bay Beach.

English Bay Beach

English Bay Beach.

English Bay Beach

beachside promenade.

beachside promenade

upper dining and beachside terrace.

upper dining and beachside terrace

beachside bar and terrace.

beachside bar and terrace

existing shade trees.

existing shade trees

winter sunset.

winter sunset

winter sunset.

winter sunset

English Bay.

English Bay

The skeleton of the LEED Gold building is comprised of glulam, steel and concrete, but the skin is sheathed in low-iron, ultra-clear triple-glazed glass panels which brings a generous glimpse of beach and ocean to pedestrians on the street side.

Canadian Architect