Page 30 - Designing Ways 242
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                         Calgary embraces design

                                   Calgary, Canada



                or the longest time, Calgary,   The context
                Canada’s third-largest city, resisted   The underpass, a familiar feature of
           Fthe very notion of design. Then as   Western Canadian cities, is a modest yet
           Santiago Calatrava was called in to build   essential type of urban infrastructure.
           the Peace Bridge, things started to change.   Calgary’s core, very much shaped by the
           And firms such as The Marc Boutin   advent of the railway in the 1880s, is still
           Architectural Collaborative (MBAC)   cut  in  half  by  the  major  rail  corridor,
           are now able to propose — and build   which separates the city’s Downtown from
           — projects that would not have been   the adjacent Beltline neighbourhood.
           considered 15 years ago.           From the south, access to the center for
             In  2015,  Marc Boutin  and his  team   pedestrians, cyclists, and car drivers,
           were entrusted with an unusual task,   is only possible through the sunken
           that of revitalizing an important urban   ‘gateways’ of the underpasses.
           passageway, the 4th Street SW Underpass.   Although these underpasses were
           Internationally known artist Krzysztof   initially conceived as a mechanism for
           Wodiczko joined the team as well as   safe  movement, they have  ironically
           Boston-based studio INVIVIA. Four years   come to embody some of Calgary’s    The concept
           later, long-time design champion and city   most uncomfortable public spaces.   MBAC’s proposal for the 4th Street SW
           councilor, Druh Farrell, described  the   The two-block stretch of the 4th Street   Underpass was founded on the notion
           transformed infrastructure as “a place of   SW underpass was no exception. In   of reclaiming a ‘space of removal’ and
           delight and wonder.”               2010, when Calgary released its set of   turning it into a ‘space for conversation.’
             MBAC has been at the forefront of   Urban Design Guidelines for downtown   Their design responded to a narrative
           Calgary’s recent transformation, with   underpasses, it identified this particular   they developed for this two-block
           inspiring urban projects such as Memorial   underpass as a priority project.  long underpass, which goes under the
           Drive, Poppy Plaza, and C-Square. Today,   Limited accessibility, poor lighting   Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) rail
           with its towers designed by Foster and   conditions, particularly at night and   corridor and 9th Avenue.
           BIG, and with Snøhetta’s Central Library,   during the winter, pedestrian safety, and   As pedestrians walk down towards
           Calgary may not yet be the country’s top   overall deterioration called for a radical   the first segment of the underpass, they
           design destination, but it is definitely   solution, one that would provide a safe,   go through a ‘Space of Anticipation,’
           worth a visit.                     comfortable, and engaging public space.  followed  by  a  ‘Space  of  Reflection.’  The




                               1. Translucent
                               Polycarbonate
                              Diffusing Surface
                               2. Aluminium
                               Exoskeleton
                             3. Translucent Glass
                              Diffusing Surface
                               4. LED Panel
                            5. Elevated Pedestrian
                                Walkway
                               6. Aluminum
                                Guardrail
                             7. Aluminum Fascia
                              Plate, shown with
                              engraved quote
















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