will people be allowed to use it as park space?

and does the world need another airport?

I'm just wondering why they wouldn't do more to incorporate natural lighting from sky lights into the design... I don't know if there's engineering/technical limitations with the living roof design (weight, strength, leaks) or what. If someone came to me with those plans, I'd say, we need wind turbines here, here and here... solar panels here here and here... and skylights in the roof. But I definitely don't hate it. I hope all buildings start to look more like this.

It's not another airport, the seaplanes already fly out of there. It's a replacement.

Put some putting greens up there, and you'll have conservative business executives clamoring to get on board the environmental bandwagon ! Pink slacks with Birkenstocks !

who designed it? is this from william braungart?

there will be no access to the roof. i think they dropped the ball big time on that one. it would have been amazing if you could go on to the roof. it is intended to be a sanctuary for the local migratory birds.

No, from what I've heard, it is a green roof that is off-limits to pedestrian traffic. Kind of a shame, because that would be great public gathering space.

Oh well, the green roof is still a nice design, and I really hope the seawall around the building will help bring the focus of the city a bit more toward the water's edge.

I'll be happy if this actually gets built as proposed. I try not to be cynical, but all too often grand visions are followed with half-assed implementation.

Too bad Toronto doesn't have something like this on its waterfront. For a supposedly "green" city, T.O. does a lot of talking but has pretty little green. I'd love to see some massive green roofs like that go up. The new opera house in Toronto was a big wasted opportunity. A massive roof in the heart of downtown. And it's now just a big concrete slab. It's depressing to look down upon from the hotel next door. What a great view it would have been to look down on a lush green garden. At least that's a view the people in the towers near this Vancouver building will have. They'll be reminded where their oxygen comes from.

damn how come i haven't heard of this until now and i've lived in vancouver my whole life? ahhh!

I am in the business and have been on this roof during construction. I still think it is a huge undertaking although green roof of significant size is no longer scarce in Vancouver new builidings especially in government funded building . Green roofs like this aims at regulating the temperature of the city by eliminating highly heat concentrated broad roofs for buildings like this. The plant types there are tolerant to drought and heavy rain like that of Vancouver.

Downside? The plants looks nothing like what you and me would like to plant at home. They are ugly in close look and are prome to damage by foot traffic.
I don't think it is a good idea to take public tours up there for a picnic. For that, I'd prefer Queen Elizabeth Park!