Following its debut earlier this year, Century Group, SCDC, and Delta West Developments' 3 Civic Plaza has quickly become a fan favourite on our Forum, Surrey's tallest tower a sight to behold. At 52 storeys, the $200 million 3 Civic Plaza and Civic Hotel has become a popular destination for business travellers and tourists alike, conveniently located adjacent to Surrey Central SkyTrain station.

3 Civic Plaza, Surrey's tallest tower, image by Forum contributor City of Rain

The Civic Hotel is part of Marriott's Autograph Collection, a boutique hospitality chain known for the individuality it places into each and every one of its hotels. The tower contains 144 rooms between the 3rd and 22nd floor, along with 8,000 square feet of meeting space, and a rooftop patio and lounge.

Civic Hotel, front entrance, image by Forum contributor City of Rain

Above the hotel level, an additional 325 market residential units reside within the tallest portion of the tower, with space left over for Kwantlen Polytechnic University, which has 50,000 square feet of space spread across five storeys. 3 Civic Plaza was designed by ZGF Cotter Architects with a mix of glass curtain wall and sheer concrete, the latter having been made distinctive via the inclusion of artfully placed teardrop-shaped voids, doubling as windows.

Public realm, image by Forum contributor City of Rain

While the tower itself cuts an impressive silhouette, the public realm element at the base of the tower could use a little more in the way of imagination. Graced with pavers, Muskoka chairs, potted plants, and little else, there is likely room for improvement. Nevertheless, 3 Civic Plaza has become a staple of the Surrey skyline, the development a central part of the suburban-urban revolution that has gripped the periphery of Metro Vancouver.

SkyriseVancouver will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.