The existing landscape at Century Gardens is an important historical monument within Calgary. Its distinct angular concrete forms and cascading waterfalls recount the natural beauty of Alberta and speak to the diversity of our environment. The proposed enhancements draw upon this metaphor to create an abstract natural landscape within the dense urban center; one that offers temporary reprieve and establishes a place of sanctuary for exploration, celebration, and composure.
The centrally located historic park has potential to become a robust and active urban gateway, one that connects the periphery of downtown with the central spine of the LRT while offering a break from the bustling urban environment. To fully realize this opportunity, our conceptual approach has been to focus on creating two bookends that frame the existing fountain and cultural landscape. The simplicity of the resulting form helps to substantiate and maintain the contextual strengths while offering a complimentary set of formal gestures through the articulation of the pavilions, one that becomes gradually more expressive as it moves away from the existing fountain, eventually evolving into a set of ‘eyes into the park’.
Borrowing from the material palette of the surrounding context, the design uses wood and natural light as means to enhance the experiential capacity of the space. The resulting surface treatments and provision of seating amenities offers users a fresh perspective on a well-known public area, while inspiring an ethos of inclusivity, and celebration.
Photo Credit: Adrien Williams
The existing landscape at Century Gardens is an important historical monument within Calgary. Its distinct angular concrete forms and cascading waterfalls recount the natural beauty of Alberta and speak to the diversity of our environment. The proposed enhancements draw upon this metaphor to create an abstract natural landscape within the dense urban center; one that offers temporary reprieve and establishes a place of sanctuary for exploration, celebration, and composure.
The centrally located historic park has potential to become a robust and active urban gateway, one that connects the periphery of downtown with the central spine of the LRT while offering a break from the bustling urban environment. To fully realize this opportunity, our conceptual approach has been to focus on creating two bookends that frame the existing fountain and cultural landscape. The simplicity of the resulting form helps to substantiate and maintain the contextual strengths while offering a complimentary set of formal gestures through the articulation of the pavilions, one that becomes gradually more expressive as it moves away from the existing fountain, eventually evolving into a set of ‘eyes into the park’.
Borrowing from the material palette of the surrounding context, the design uses wood and natural light as means to enhance the experiential capacity of the space. The resulting surface treatments and provision of seating amenities offers users a fresh perspective on a well-known public area, while inspiring an ethos of inclusivity, and celebration.
Photo Credit: Adrien Williams