3
3Dementia
Guest
If it was 500 feet tall it would be inoffensive, but the tallest building in Calgary... ridiculous.
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If it was 500 feet tall it would be inoffensive, but the tallest building in Calgary... ridiculous.
B
Bogtrotter
Guest
What a terrific looking building. Certainly puts the run-of the-mill design of the B-A centre and RBC tower to shame. To be quite honest the design might be more appropriate for Toronto. At over 800 feet- Foster has indeed put his stamp on Calgary! Err...what's the job market like out there? 
E
Ed007Toronto
Guest
No more rediculous than what the first TD Toronto Tower looked like in 1967 all by itself on the skyline. I'm sure Calgary will have some others show up in the future that will allow this one to integrate itself better on the skyline.
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Ed007Toronto
Guest
EnCana's $1-billion tower to be the tallest in Calgary
DAVID EBNER
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Calgary — EnCana Corp. and one of the world's top architects are building a $1-billion tower in downtown Calgary, which at 59 storeys will be the tallest structure west of Toronto and the most significant office development since Toronto's First Canadian Place in the 1970s.
Civic leaders in Calgary also said it underscores the city's new role as a global energy capital, being the corporate hub for the oil sands in northeastern Alberta, which are recognized as the second-largest source of crude oil on the planet and where a $100-billion building boom is underway.
“We have emerged as one of North America's leading cities,†Mayor Dave Bronconnier told reporters at a packed press conference in Calgary Thursday Morning.
EnCana, the country's largest producer of oil and natural gas, is working with Foster + Partners, the renowned London-based architects behind the Millennium Bridge in the firm's hometown, as well as the Swiss Re building, better known as the Gherkin. Internationally, Foster + Partners designed the new Reichstag (Parliament) in Berlin and is working on the Beijing Airport, set to be the world's largest.
The EnCana headquarters, which will bring together the firm's 3,500 workers now scattered in five buildings, is dubbed “The Bow,†after the river that runs beside the city's downtown. It is being built east of Centre Street, which for years has been an invisible barrier in the core, separating the rich westside of downtown from the downtrodden eastside. It is hoped the building revitalizes the area.
Construction is expected to begin next summer and the facility is set to be fully occupied in 2011. The main building occupies most of one city block and includes a major plaza but the project covers two blocks, including an adjacent 7-storey building that will house community and arts groups. Retail space will be featured in both buildings.
Foster + Partners incorporated advanced design, choosing glass and steel engineering that should be 30 per cent lighter than a typical building of such size. Almost every office will have a window and two floors will feature extensive gardens, which Foster senior partner Nigel Dancey called “gardens in the sky.†He added the extensive use of glass will provide for fantastic views of Rocky Mountains west of Calgary.
The Bow is the largest North American development yet for Foster + Partners.
Across the street from The Bow is the Petro-Canada complex, a two-tower development built a quarter century ago when Petrocan was owned by the federal government. The taller of the two towers is 52 storeys, which until today was the highest structure in Calgary and caused consternation among Calgarians in the early 1980s when it eclipsed the Calgary Tower.
Petrocan was derisively dubbed “Red Square,†a reference to complex's colour but also to the company's creation and state ownership under the Pierre Trudeau Liberals. (The firm is now publicly held, with Ottawa selling its last stake two years ago.)
EnCana's building is seen as a home-grown icon, “a landmark that defines Calgary,†Mr. Bronconnier said.
EnCana plans to sell the project to a pension fund or other investors before it is completed, not wanting to itself own real estate long-term. It hopes to sign a 25-year lease with a buyer. EnCana said it led the project until now so that it could get a building designed to its specific needs.
Calgary has the lowest downtown office vacancy rate of any city in North America after the energy boom of recent years followed a decade-and-a-half of tough times. EnCana's building will be 1.7-million square feet, adding to more than 10-million square feet of space under development or construction. The company currently occupies about 1.5-million square feet.
© The Globe and Mail
DAVID EBNER
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Calgary — EnCana Corp. and one of the world's top architects are building a $1-billion tower in downtown Calgary, which at 59 storeys will be the tallest structure west of Toronto and the most significant office development since Toronto's First Canadian Place in the 1970s.
Civic leaders in Calgary also said it underscores the city's new role as a global energy capital, being the corporate hub for the oil sands in northeastern Alberta, which are recognized as the second-largest source of crude oil on the planet and where a $100-billion building boom is underway.
“We have emerged as one of North America's leading cities,†Mayor Dave Bronconnier told reporters at a packed press conference in Calgary Thursday Morning.
EnCana, the country's largest producer of oil and natural gas, is working with Foster + Partners, the renowned London-based architects behind the Millennium Bridge in the firm's hometown, as well as the Swiss Re building, better known as the Gherkin. Internationally, Foster + Partners designed the new Reichstag (Parliament) in Berlin and is working on the Beijing Airport, set to be the world's largest.
The EnCana headquarters, which will bring together the firm's 3,500 workers now scattered in five buildings, is dubbed “The Bow,†after the river that runs beside the city's downtown. It is being built east of Centre Street, which for years has been an invisible barrier in the core, separating the rich westside of downtown from the downtrodden eastside. It is hoped the building revitalizes the area.
Construction is expected to begin next summer and the facility is set to be fully occupied in 2011. The main building occupies most of one city block and includes a major plaza but the project covers two blocks, including an adjacent 7-storey building that will house community and arts groups. Retail space will be featured in both buildings.
Foster + Partners incorporated advanced design, choosing glass and steel engineering that should be 30 per cent lighter than a typical building of such size. Almost every office will have a window and two floors will feature extensive gardens, which Foster senior partner Nigel Dancey called “gardens in the sky.†He added the extensive use of glass will provide for fantastic views of Rocky Mountains west of Calgary.
The Bow is the largest North American development yet for Foster + Partners.
Across the street from The Bow is the Petro-Canada complex, a two-tower development built a quarter century ago when Petrocan was owned by the federal government. The taller of the two towers is 52 storeys, which until today was the highest structure in Calgary and caused consternation among Calgarians in the early 1980s when it eclipsed the Calgary Tower.
Petrocan was derisively dubbed “Red Square,†a reference to complex's colour but also to the company's creation and state ownership under the Pierre Trudeau Liberals. (The firm is now publicly held, with Ottawa selling its last stake two years ago.)
EnCana's building is seen as a home-grown icon, “a landmark that defines Calgary,†Mr. Bronconnier said.
EnCana plans to sell the project to a pension fund or other investors before it is completed, not wanting to itself own real estate long-term. It hopes to sign a 25-year lease with a buyer. EnCana said it led the project until now so that it could get a building designed to its specific needs.
Calgary has the lowest downtown office vacancy rate of any city in North America after the energy boom of recent years followed a decade-and-a-half of tough times. EnCana's building will be 1.7-million square feet, adding to more than 10-million square feet of space under development or construction. The company currently occupies about 1.5-million square feet.
© The Globe and Mail
C
Canuck 36
Guest
I knows what I likes, and I likes it.
G
ganjavih
Guest
Kinda puts the drab, dull and predictable BA development into perspective. I'm happy for Calgary but I can't help but wonder why Toronto struggles with great architecture so much.
B
billy corgan19982
Guest
It’s alright, much better than BA or RBC but I prefer the designs of Toronto’s Ritz and Shangri-La.
I love how Calgary gets one exciting proposal and the Toronto bitchfest begins. With the ROM, AGO, Festival Centre and the Hummingbird projects I don’t think Toronto is struggling with great architecture.
:rolleyes
I love how Calgary gets one exciting proposal and the Toronto bitchfest begins. With the ROM, AGO, Festival Centre and the Hummingbird projects I don’t think Toronto is struggling with great architecture.
G
ganjavih
Guest
Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and although the quality of architecture in Toronto has improved recently, it can be a lot better. The AGO is not what we would expect a Gehry to be, the Opera House was toned down, the BA Centre was a huge anticlimax and our Foster is hardly a Foster. I do think that Toronto's biggest weakest and biggest challenge for the future is its appearance and architecture is a big part of it. You're free to disagree.
A
Archivistower
Guest
I do agree with Billy in that you can't compare Toronto and Calgary on the basis of this one project. And Calgary's leading arts project would be ...? And their beautiful residential buildings would be ...?
Just be happy for them that the bar is finally raised and they get a great building. They can't all be here in Toronto.
Just be happy for them that the bar is finally raised and they get a great building. They can't all be here in Toronto.
M
mark simpson
Guest
"And their beautiful residential buildings would be "
I occasionally drop in on Calgary's equivilant to UT on SSP and was shocked by everyone drooling over the lastest proposal - a carbon copy from Kirkor of their Capital Towers in Missy
The one thing I was somewhat jealous of was the use of smooth skinned curtain glass on their towers but now I think I prefer the depth mullions bring to a glassy design
I occasionally drop in on Calgary's equivilant to UT on SSP and was shocked by everyone drooling over the lastest proposal - a carbon copy from Kirkor of their Capital Towers in Missy
The one thing I was somewhat jealous of was the use of smooth skinned curtain glass on their towers but now I think I prefer the depth mullions bring to a glassy design
W
wyliepoon
Guest
A very nice building design, I must say. A futuristic tall tower for Canada's version of Dubai... how fitting. Like what others have said, I think this does resemble one of the City Hall towers.
I'd like to see Encana with the Pengrowth Saddledome (if possible), just to see how the curves on the two buildings match.
I'd like to see Encana with the Pengrowth Saddledome (if possible), just to see how the curves on the two buildings match.
T
TdotTrickyRicky
Guest
Good for Calgary and I share the sentiment that at least the design is more innovative than anything we have proposed (and perhaps built) here. That aside I have reservations about the use of a crescent shape for a tall building from a design perspective. First, the shape makes the entire structure act like a sail so I suspect that the outer compression face will have a hell of a lot of awkward structure compared to the inner face as does our city hall. Second, with a crescent shape from many view angles the building might appear bulky in an unflattering and disproportionate way relative to the existing skyline.
F
FutureMayor
Guest
Good lord $1 billion for a new office tower in Calgary! Fantastic stuff!
Can't wait until that happens in Mississauga City Centre one day!
Louroz
Can't wait until that happens in Mississauga City Centre one day!
Louroz
S
scarberiankhatru
Guest
"Disappointed with the flat top."
But the sides are curved, so it doesn't matter. It'll only look flat on postcards.
"Can't wait until that happens in Mississauga City Centre one day!"
Yo-your Ma is, in my opinion, the better building.
But the sides are curved, so it doesn't matter. It'll only look flat on postcards.
"Can't wait until that happens in Mississauga City Centre one day!"
Yo-your Ma is, in my opinion, the better building.
F
FutureMayor
Guest
Thanks, however, I would love to see a 59 storey office building built in MCC.
I think it's possible. Civic Pride is rising in Mississauga.
Louroz
I think it's possible. Civic Pride is rising in Mississauga.
Louroz