The public engagement/release/communication with this has been botched in my opinion.
Based on the plan and the images they released or leaked, I don’t know who they are really trying to impress.
I’ve long thought/hoped they would activate a stronger connection with Englewood. It looks like they are doing this on some level, but I suppose this has numerous projects associated with it within the Rivers District.
They’ve labelled Olympic Way as Festival way, not using the existing name and then revealing a festival space/plaza adjacent to the building that is forgettably bland and vanilla.
They didn’t showcase a full and activated festival space for game days or any event. This is something I was looking for that activates the whole area in times without an event with the possibility to ramp up & optimize for each event.
The critical corner they label is also not really intuitively communicated. I can understand that with C-train connections I suppose as they are undergoing separate projects.
Then their is the building itself. Why are they releasing pictures of a marginalally activated plaza when the plan states a “Visual connection” with the 12th Avenue green space / promenade?
What does this mean? Does it mean a super screen/banner like demonstrated above, showcasing the building’s form from street level, or a digital feature that displays the game score on the building like at the Sochi Olympics?
In terms of the lack of architectural magnificence (which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing because these kind of projects are frequently costly to
maintain and
change as I believe Edmonton is experiencing) , they explain how their focus was on highlighting signature views of the Calgary skyline from with the building (probably the Tower and a mountain glimpse and having a building that works with the shape of the land itself. I suppose they have height/sightline restrictions to ensure this view long term. The placement of the parking garage (maybe formerly planned practice facility) is also strategically buffering the flood zone in other drawing.
