CASE STUDY

Initial Research by: Desiree Theriault

Edited by: Samantha Miller & Nicole Brekelmans

Case study compiled in 2017

 

 

Project: Eau Claire Plaza Redevelopment 

Type of Urban Strategy: Water

Type of Project: Plaza / Public Square 

Location: Calgary, Alberta 

Date Designed/Planned: 2008

Construction Completed:  Ongoing

Designer:  LandPlan Associates Ltd., Marc Boutin Architects

 

Marc Boutin Associates and LandPlan Associates realized the importance of the Eau Claire Plaza as it situates itself directly in an important node of the city of Calgary. Currently, this site is being fragmented from the rest of the city resulting in a disjointed area that doesn’t provide pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized vehicles the connection between significant areas (Canadian Architect, 2006).

 

The solution is to create an urban bridge through a plaza that provides the citizens of Calgary with a space to gather and redirect their flow from the Prince’s Island Park, the Bow River or the urban core. Integrating leftover space into a cohesive character through lighting, greening, and urban artifacts provides the area with a new sense of place that engages the public. Strategizing to occupy the space, the designers proposed to create a dynamic public space that will be utilized throughout the four seasons by opening up the area and connecting it to the major destinations it surrounds. These elements will create a connected urban core that defines the water’s edge and provides Calgarians with a more interconnected urban fabric. 

(Marc Boutin, 2017)