Ongoing Calgarians complaining about pedestrian bridges thread

[Bunk]

I think one of the most important things for the East Village will be the renovation of St. Patrick's Island itself. This is a place that is the size of Prince's Island yet is not used. It could be something really valuable to this part of town. CMLC will be launching a master plan for the Island next year.

The nice streetscape design and riverwalk are a fantastic start over there. The EV master plan by Broadway Maylan is also quite a good vision. I like the idea of it being more of a European scale mid-rise perimeter block community rather than the plethora of podium-point tower plans that seem to dominate these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TErOyc6R5zo

[4X4]

I just had to laugh at the comment in the herald article where the guy says to use the money to fix deerfoot and glenmore. People have such a hard time understanding that there's more to a city than roads. Seems that people who live in outer areas only want roads and interchanges built for them; certainly not a pedestrian bridge that will do similar wonders for the inner city.
That said, I still think the design is fugly.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Bunk

I like the idea of it being more of a European scale mid-rise perimeter block community rather than the plethora of podium-point tower plans that seem to dominate these days.

Absolutely, mid-rise neighborhoods always work the best in creating livable places. I'm not sure where people got the idea that 40-story skyscrapers create urban nirvana....in many ways they can feel as barren and soul-less as any suburb. I've worked and lived among them...and much prefer my mid-rise neighborhood. A good 4-5 story tall neighborhood feels busy and exciting, yet remains at a scale that is relatable. I'm glad to see that's the route East Village is taking.

[Ironhorse]

I don't see much Calgary representation in the short list; how much involvement do you suppose Halsall had?

The shortlist includes:
- A subtle, low twin-arch structure by Paris-based RFR and Calgary engineering firm Halsall Associates;
- A similar arch-supported span with stress ribbons across and a plaza-style overlook and ramp onto St. Patrick’s Island, by Britain’s Falco Schmitt Architects and global engineering giant ARUP;
- A cable-stayed bridge with a soaring, leaning white mast that supports bow-shaped platforms connecting from the island to both banks of the Bow River, by Buckland and Taylor of Vancouver and Victoria’s Kitchell.

[Wookie]

Fools, why build bridges when we can walk across the area in a few years

http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alber...86976-sun.html

Dr. Viv Nelles, who co-authored a new history of the Bow titled The River Returns, acknowledged how human manipulation, diversion and global warming is threatening to turn the watercourse into a future trickle.
The province has said the river's flow last summer was the lowest in 90 years

[yads]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

I don't see much Calgary representation in the short list; how much involvement do you suppose Halsall had?

This just goes to show that local architecture firms can't cut it. All the cries about letting the first bridge be open to local firms was all political posturing. These guys just can't compete.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by yads

This just goes to show that local architecture firms can't cut it. All the cries about letting the first bridge be open to local firms was all political posturing. These guys just can't compete.

I dunno, I actually liked some of the local ones like the Marc Boutin one better than any of the shortlisted ones. But I wouldn't take it as a sign that the local firms can't compete, just that they missed the mark, something they shared in common with some of the most high-profile candidates.

[Table 5]

While I didn't think the local firms were among the best, I too thought that some of the local firms put in a solid showing (and of course some were plain embarrassing). I was actually expecting at least one of them (probably Kasian) to be part of the short list.

I'm not sure if firms, local or otherise, missed the mark as much as the mark itself seemed to shift during the judging. At the very least it seemed nebulous.

[Byrns]

Originally Posted by yads

This just goes to show that local architecture firms can't cut it. All the cries about letting the first bridge be open to local firms was all political posturing. These guys just can't compete.

I think the cries were for it to open to more than one designer.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Byrns

I think the cries were for it to open to more than one designer.

One designer who still produced a more unique design than any of the other 30 firms did for a site that had less design restrictions. I'm glad we went with Calatrava, we're getting what we paid for.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Table 5

While I didn't think the local firms were among the best, I too thought that some of the local firms put in a solid showing (and of course some were plain embarrassing). I was actually expecting at least one of them (probably Kasian) to be part of the short list.

Is there anywhere online that a person could see some of the other entries that didn't make the short list?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by getbak

Is there anywhere online that a person could see some of the other entries that didn't make the short list?

Right on the CMLC website, they're all listed there.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Absolutely, mid-rise neighborhoods always work the best in creating livable places. I'm not sure where people got the idea that 40-story skyscrapers create urban nirvana....in many ways they can feel as barren and soul-less as any suburb. I've worked and lived among them...and much prefer my mid-rise neighborhood. A good 4-5 story tall neighborhood feels busy and exciting, yet remains at a scale that is relatable. I'm glad to see that's the route East Village is taking.

It's not that primarily highrise areas can't be liveable - they can. But they have to be thoughtfully planned, and many aren't. Yaletown in Vancouver is a very liveable area because of a high standard of urban design and an ample amount of quality open space.

That said, I'm glad there will be a primarily mid-rise neighbourhood right in downtown Calgary. It's obvious that the Beltline and places like Eau Claire will be highrise communities. variety.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Muta

Right on the CMLC website, they're all listed there.

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/submissions/submission-27/

This really just makes the ones that were chosen even more disappointing. Is there any way we can ask the city to revisit this, like NYC did for the WTC? Let's get something cool.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by SebC

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/submissions/submission-27/

This really just makes the ones that were chosen even more disappointing. Is there any way we can ask the city to revisit this, like NYC did for the WTC? Let's get something cool.

Agreed. Although, for that to happen here, you'd need to poison the water supply like in Batman Begins and make the deciding committee hallucinate and scare themselves into choosing a more inspiring design. Well, that or a baseball bat, a kamikaze attitude and the risk of imprisoning yourself for the rest of your years.

Uninspiring design selections, but I've gotten used to that anyway. I've seen that happen too many times over and over that I'm just desensitized to it now.

Although.... wait until the new downtown central library opens its architectural competition in the near future here. THAT... will be exciting. I guarantee it.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Muta

Although.... wait until the new downtown central library opens its architectural competition in the near future here. THAT... will be exciting. I guarantee it.

It should be quite exciting yes. The notion of the new central library and competition (including its website - www.calgarylandmarklibrary) has been around for a few years now. It's been delayed for quite some time with the uncertainty as to when the Police Admin people are moving out of their building on that block. Also, it needs a budget of $200 million or so?, only about $40 million of which has been secured.

Have you heard any word whether the competition will be launched anytime soon? I'm guessing after the civic election. Unless McIver wins at which time he will probably shut down the public library system because it's a waste of taxpayers money.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Bunk

It should be quite exciting yes. The notion of the new central library and competition (including its website - www.calgarylandmarklibrary) has been around for a few years now. It's been delayed for quite some time with the uncertainty as to when the Police Admin people are moving out of their building on that block. Also, it needs a budget of $200 million or so?, only about $40 million of which has been secured.

Have you heard any word whether the competition will be launched anytime soon? I'm guessing after the civic election. Unless McIver wins at which time he will probably shut down the public library system because it's a waste of taxpayers money.

Well, with the numbers I've heard... if they want a REALLY signature library, that's about the budget I've heard as well. I believe they're still in the fundraising stage.

To put it in perspective, the new downtown Seattle Public Library cost approximately $166 million, and it's not even that big of a facility. But it is an OUTSTANDING building... and Calgary's budget is going to be higher than that. I've heard some architects say that it needs to go higher.... like, $400 million for the type of facility the library wants.

[flylock shox]

What's a library?

[Muta]

Originally Posted by flylock shox

What's a library?

Rexall Place whenever the Flames play there.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Muta

Although.... wait until the new downtown central library opens its architectural competition in the near future here. THAT... will be exciting. I guarantee it.

Well at least they say they want a landmark. What makes you think this one will be any different from Cantos/St. Patrick's?