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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
The largest mall in Calgary is a byproduct of two separate shopping centres that merged in the 1970s to become the Chinook Centre. Back in 1960, the original footprint of the Chinook Centre opened with Woodward's, Holt Renfrew, a bowling alley and a Calgary Public Library branch anchoring the complex. Built across the street a few years later, the competing Southridge featured retailing giant Sears as its primary tenant. But an expansion plan would bring the two facilities under common ownership, also producing an office tower, food court, parking structure, and movie theatre.
An additional wing for specialty retailers was completed in the 1980s, boosting the mall's store number to about 300. The biggest renovation took place in the late 1990s and saw the rebuilding of the complex in three phases. There was a shift towards accommodating larger retailers, which ultimately reduced the store count to approximately 200, and pushed out smaller retailers and services, including the library branch. An Egyptian-themed and IMAX-equipped movie theatre was among the host of improvements to the massive shopping centre, which also spawned upgraded spaces for Sears, the Bay and Zellers.
Probably the most talked-about element of the expansion was the introduction of a time capsule in the centre of the four-storey rotunda. Set below a constellation-like ceiling and within a blue-tiled mosaic that mimics the layout of the Bow and Elbow rivers, the time capsule beckons Calgarians in the distant future of 2999, one thousand years after its installation. An irrational time frame to be sure, but a quirky element that has given the Cadillac Fairview-owned mall some of its fantastical character.
A slew of new retailers, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Harry Rosen, Tesla Motors, and an Apple Store, were welcomed to the complex in 2010 following another expansion project. Future plans call for the addition of 2.3 million square feet of space, which could make the mall the second biggest in North America. Cadillac Fairview has also set their sights on enlarging its footprint to have a pedestrian-oriented presence on Macleod Trail, with a several mixed-use highrise towers replacing surface parking.
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