Originally constructed in 1995 as an artist work/live studio building, the Mecca has been home to tons of painters, musicians and sculptors. One of the owners recently confirmed that Sarah McLachlan was one of the original owners.

This modern double height loft apartment designed by Victoreric, known for their elegant and timeless designs. Take a look, this is a fine example of what everyone thinks when you say ‘loft’

The Grace Tower was built in 2008 and features a distinctive design that includes Italian inspired courtyards and stunning walk up townhouses. The building is characterized by its arched windows, rounded balconies, and gargoyles. Perhaps, one of the city’s most inspired buildings, its visual uniqueness in comparison to the city’s other buildings, adds to the appeal.

Each interior unveils decorating details that exude elegance and sophistication. As you step from one room to the next, the porcelain floors and rich Mozambique millwork ensure a smooth transition. The most spectacular part of the property is the en-suite bedroom on the last level with cathedral ceilings. It is currently listed for sale for $7,899,000. Have a look at the video for the virtual tour and let us know what you think!

There are two direct elevators opening into a private foyer, the Elysium Penthouse features porcelain floors, rich Mozambique millwork througout, and an insuite private elevator.

The penthouse also boasts of its fair share of technological features, which include – climate controlled wine storage area (crafted from glass), Gaggenau appliances, geothermal heating, smart air-conditioning, ethanol fire places and a security system (with bio-metric fingerprint recognition). Finally, these advanced albeit ritzy attributes are bolstered by host of utility zones like a concierge, indoor/outdoor pool and spa fitness facility. So, at the end of the day, the scope is not only about intangible opulence (for sake of opulence), but also encompasses the qualities of comfort and safety.

The master bath contains a large soaking tub, an enclosed showering room, and separate enclosed toilet as well as two vanity sink areas all done up in the same porcelain, wood, and grey marble of the rest of the house.

At night the loft transforms into a captivating, romantic space complete with a light therapy feature and a designer “moon” light fixture art piece. The mezzanine upstairs boasts a walk in closet, sitting area, library and tempered glass feature that allows you to see directly downstairs.

Also, it’s available for rent here

From the split level entry you see the grand double-height, open-concept living & dining area adjacent to the spacious kitchen. The private guest bedroom is also on this level. Above & beyond you see the spacious loft den & master suite which has an ensuite with spectacular views, even from the tub! Everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes: custom iron staircase, railings & detailing, Venetian plaster walls, a cast-concrete F/P, unique lighting fixtures, etc. Enjoy summer days & nights in the private skygarden (over 800 SqFt) with its lush fish pond.

The project consisted of a seismic upgrade and restoration of a heritage building in Vancouver’s historic gastown district, and a warehouse loft interior design project.  The loft is organized around a new courtyard open to above, inserted into the heritage fabric of the building, allowing light into the centre of the very deep plan.  All other interior elements are rendered crisply using precisely machined elements, conceived to stand in strong contrast to the rough heritage fabric of the existing shell

The owner is a bachelor who became deeply invested in Gastown before its rundown warehouse spaces became fashionable. (Indeed, his various business ventures there have helped spur the area’s revival.) So, when he approached designer Omer Arbel, then working at Peter Busby’s offices, he asked for a home that would “just let the space be itself.”

The space, though, had been practically abandoned, used as rough storage for an appliance vendor. Arbel was handed a mess of clumsy interior walls and years of spider webs. His task: preserve the history that lurked there, all while overlaying it with a real, functional living space.

The first myth of Gastown living—that one must sacrifice fresh air and greenery for the rush of city life—was dispelled in short order. Arbel knew that neither Water Street nor Blood Alley was going to offer lush vistas, so he created, at the heart of this loft, a walled courtyard that only looked up to the sky. Light and breezes spill through its open top into the home and, when three of the courtyard’s walls roll away, one might easily stroll from room to room via a happy cube of garden.

“Everywhere,” says Arbel, “we were really just dropping these objects, these boxes, into the larger plan.” Against a surround of vintage brick, for example, the kitchen’s crisp white millwork hovers, with space above and below to emphasize the box-within-a-box effect. One is constantly aware, here, of contemporary design as a sort of complement to (rather than an abolisher of) the original warehouse.

Look up and you’ll see a network of original Douglas fir beams, lit up to dramatic effect by a set of skylights. There’s a five-foot volume between the beams and the building’s actual ceiling—another clearly defined envelope.

Ultimately, though, Arbel’s loft does what a great loft ought to: it gets out of the way. “You want to revel in an open floor plan like this,” he says. “Part of the promise of living in a loft is the way nothing’s fixed.” There are no walls to break off the living space, kitchen or dining area, save for a couple of paper “soft walls” by Molo, which accordion, shift or disappear depending on that day’s whims.

Arbel can create structure when it’s called for; he’s justly happy with the bathroom, where a vanity area, a tiled shower and a halo of light at the shower’s rear make up a set of three nesting boxes. But mostly this is a home where the owner’s superlative (and eclectic) collection of furnishings can take centre stage. Baroque chandeliers and Parisian café chairs share the space with Buddhas and Japanese wind socks.

The massive dining table is a replica of one at nearby hot spot Salt Tasting Room restaurant. A modern abstract painting by Charles Forsberg and a stunning chandelier enhance the scale and conversation.

Large hanging fish kites catch the light in the living room. Architect Omer Arbel’s tips for how to introduce modern elements to an existing space ripe with character:

1. Use dramatic colour shifts to distinguish new objects, while respecting vintage surfaces and palettes.
2. Embrace the contrast between old and new. “It’s a tense conversation at times, but within that tension there’s a wonderful place to inhabit,” says Omer.
3. Use “reveals” to delineate materials. Allow for breathing space in the transition from new walls and fresh flooring options to existing walls and ceilings.
4. Apply discreet trim to define the lines between vintage and modern elements.

The original plan was a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom standard condo configuration, early 1990`s style with little thought to how people actually live. With this plan every wall came down nand the loft was converted into a one bedroom with 2 bathrooms. The warehouse feel was then resurrected with large living spaces original brick exposed and unfinished formed concrete as a feature wall.

Light was now able to penetrate most of the new floor plan through the large 9 ft windows. Even though this home was built with a single guy in mind, a lot of thought was given to providing the owner with healthy living environment.

Whether it´s the Bio fuel fireplace the natural fibers used in all the upholstery or the home being on a timer and controlled by the owners I Phone.

A hip young couple living in Vancouverâ€s Yaletown entertainment district gets married and decides to start a family. Requiring more space than they can afford in Yaletown, but deliberately wanting to avoid the typical retreat to the suburbs, the couple purchases a run-down loft space a few blocks away in Crosstown – i.e. on the edge of Vancouverâ€s ‘undesirable†Lower East Side neighborhood. With modest means and a tight timeline (baby on the way) a former after-hours party venue was converted into a home for a growing family.

The existing building at 550 Beatty St was Vancouverâ€s first ‘New York style open plan loft†– a 1907 warehouse that was originally retrofitted into residential open-plan lofts in 1981. In this new third iteration of the life of the building, the two-floor dwelling is programmed with 1000sf of living and entertaining ‘public†space upstairs and 1000sf of convertible sleeping and play ‘private†space downstairs. The lower floor plan employs a series of sliding partitions that convert the layout from a single open plan space during the day, into a two bedroom plus nursery layout at night.

This project presents an alternative to suburban living for young families. The decisions of individual families to collectively reclaim neglected parts of the urban fabric presents a compelling model for urban revitalization and adaptive re-use. The design demonstrates a creative architectural response to the challenges of creating ‘rooms†in generic loft spaces – which typically only have access to light and air at one end of an extremely deep floor plan. More here.

via 2Modern Blog