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Developers, architects, urban designers and planners celebrated the very best in city-building Wednesday night as the Mayor's Urban Design Awards were doled out to well-deserved honourees. The biennial awards acknowledge the contributions of local architects, artists and designers to the evolving urban fabric and liveability of Calgary, recognizing their indelible impacts on the face of the city.
While the gala sung the praises of developments large and small all over the city, it was the venue the event was held in that came away as one of the biggest winners of the night. After 557 votes were recorded from September 19 to October 3, the Allied Works and Kasian-designed Studio Bell stole the hearts of Calgarians. Also known as the National Music Centre, the uniquely shaped cultural centre won the people's choice award for favourite building. IBI Group and Lorne Simpson James Reid were also acknowledged for their Bowness Park Rehabilitation project, which won the award in the public space category.
The Marc Boutin Architectural Collaborative's 4th Street Underpass Enhancement project, unveiled early last year, won in the conceptual/theoretical urban design project category. The revitalization of a key transportation corridor aims to heighten the pedestrian experience to a similar degree as the new 8th Street Underpass.
The practice was also given an honourable mention for their Eau Claire Plaza design, with RNDSQR and 5468796 Architecture getting kudos for their Courtyard 33 development. Looking to the long-term future, the City of Calgary's Civic District Public Realm Strategy received an award in the approved or adopted urban design plans category.
A number of projects familiar to our readers, and ones we've frequently covered in front page stories, were also honoured at the gala. Nyhoff Architecture and cSpace Projects took home the urban architecture award for their King Edward Arts Hub and Incubator development, which marked its grand opening in late September. The Sturgess Architecture-designed GLAS and Diamond Schmitt-Gibbs Gage collaboration at the Shulich School of Engineering earned honourable mentions.
For civic design projects, Marc Boutin's firm saw more admiration directed their way with CSquare in East Village, developed by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation with design partner Scatliff + Miller + Murray. And just a short walk to the east, 5468796's Crossroads Garden Shed earned the award in the urban fragments group.
It wasn't just brick and mortar that was celebrated at the event. Nyhoff's East Village Junction project, the pop-up retail hub of shipping containers, saw congratulations after winning in the community improvements projects bracket. Honourable mentions went to the Fourth Avenue Flyover and Backyard Laneway Activation projects.
Named after landscape architect and town planner Thomas Hayton Mawson, who designed a plan for the city in 1913, the Mawson Urban Design Award went to the City of Calgary's 'Conserving Calgary's Historic Streets' initiative. There were three honourable mentions as well, collected by the Bowness Park Rehabilitation, St. Louis Hotel Restoration and Withrow Laneway House.
The city edge development category recognized plans, studies, architecture, landscape designs and site elements that respond to the challenges and opportunities presented in newly developing areas of the city. Marshall Tittemore Architects and MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects each received the award for the ultramodern Great Plains Recreation Facility at 6280 76 Ave. S.E., while the Haskayne Legacy Park Pavilion earned an honourable mention.
In the category of great city, great design, which commends developments that contribute to the improvement of quality of life — specifically through a walkability and accessibility lens — Snøhetta and DIALOG's New Central Library came away the winner. The honourable mention went to Nyhoff's design for the Willow Ridge Community Association.
RNDSQR and MoDA's partnership paid off handsomely with Grow and Village each receiving accolades in the housing innovation group. Hindle Architects and Attainable Homes Calgary also won in the category with their Arriva at Bowness project.
Sustainable design practices and urban design excellence were put under the microscope in the green city category, which Green T Design won with their Vegetated Roof Replacement Research and Demonstration Project. The honourable mention went to MTGY/The Montgomery Project by BIOI Inc.
The future certainly looks bright for Calgary's urban design scene. What do you think of the winners? Let us know by dropping a comment in the field below.
