Unbuilt Projects

[FCC1982]

Wait... there's more:

Park Centre - two towers of 50 storeys plus a shorter hotel. This is the lot where the TCPL tower and James Short Park are. Calgary could have had a KPF designed skyscraper !

Park Gallery - 49 storeys on the block west of the Nexen (er. Nova) tower & Century Gardens. Would have brought some welcomed height to the west end of the skyline.

Stephen Square - 52 storeys on the north side of Stephen Ave. east of Goodlife Fitness.

Victoria Square - mixed use (office, hotel & residential), tallest tower was to be 42 storeys. Located on the 2 blocks across from the Stampede-Vic Park C-Train station where Stampede Station Nuera/Alura and Sasso/Vetro currently live.

 

[FCC1982]

A few other random projects:

This was proposed for the parking lot on the north side of 6th Ave. between 2nd & 3rd Streets SW - I still can't believe nothing has been built on that prime lot.

Atco Tower on the lot where Jaimeson Place is now built.

Calgary Centre - only the shorter tower was built - there was to be a 41 storey companion.

I think this would have violated the Bow River pathway shadowing by-laws ?

A 55 storey headquarters for Dome Petroleum in Eau Claire

This would have been on 8th Ave where the ATB banking centre (is it National Bank now?) was built.

This would have eaten up an empty lot along the CPR tracks on 9th Ave.

Proposed for the lot west of the JJ Bowlen building and the Courts centre.

 

[FCC1982]

And to finish off:


One more of Alberta 75 Place that Surreal posted on the first page - it was named for the Province's 75 birthday in 1980 - 75 storeys would still make it the tallest today.

The original proposal for Bankers Hall (before POMO took over).

Canterrra Tower was to be 50 storeys.

And a few old skyline shots because ... what the hell, they were in my file.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Excellent post! I've never been able to find a rendering of the original FCC project with the taller tower in it. For the FCC project, there was another rendering showing the taller tower from the other side (from the NE) it looked pretty cool from what I remember.

 

[FCC1982]

Yeah, I know I had more at one time including a future skyline rendering from the NE from 1979 or 80 that I wish I had kept.

 

[GoVertical]

That would have been incredible FCC. Still very impressed by what you have kept. I'll never get over the second phase of FCC as well. Btw...Omg I never knew that canterra was to be 50 stories!! ? Still one of the best buildings in my opinion. I also see you have the boom years book too. One of my favorite books!

 

[Abstract&Unity]

Anyone know if they will ever build this? its by bow valley college. I'm not sure what the name is too.

 

[DougB]

Anyone have a rendering of the original Eaton’s Centre concept (current TD Tower)? It was around 50 stories of gold reflective glass.

Some more obscure proposals for someone to find:
-massive residential redevelopment of Eau Claire with curving roads and towers in the park. Sort of Brasília by the Bow from late 1960’s
-Eau Claire estates proposal from early 80’s. Used to be a model in the lobby of the Canterra Tower
-Pointe Claire condo proposal from 1990. Near the site of what is now the Concord. Had a full height atrium with tropical plants
-original proposal for the abomination at 10th and Memorial in Kensington. Remember it being a split building with pedestrian walk through
-Renaissance retail, office and residential project across Macleod from Chinook Centre which Home Depot now occupies. Site used to be the Tradewinds Hotel and a bunch of car dealerships. The Calgary Auto Mall was the only component built, relocating the dealerships to Deerfoot and Glenmore. Would have had underground connections to Chinook and a rebuilt LRT station
-giant indoor water park and movie studio on Dominion Bridge site in Ramsay
-indoor mall proposal for what is now WestHills. Would have included the giant metal teepee that was relocated to Medicine Hat after the Olympics
-really obscure: Spray Lakes resort proposal from early 80’s that would have spanned from Tent Ridge at the south of the lake to Mt. Lougheed at the north. Included 4 skiable mountains, several mid rise hotels and a very long gondola lift connecting it all together

Most if not all of these could be found in back issues of Alberta Report. I used to pour over them in the Cameron Library at U of A

 

[FCC1982]

Anyone have a rendering of the original Eaton’s Centre concept (current TD Tower)? It was around 50 stories of gold reflective glass.

Some more obscure proposals for someone to find:
-Eau Claire estates proposal from early 80’s. Used to be a model in the lobby of the Canterra Tower

Most if not all of these could be found in back issues of Alberta Report. I used to pour over them in the Cameron Library at U of A

Ha - I used to check out Alberta Report on a weekly basis as well - searching for new projects.
I do remember the gold 50 storey Eaton Centre concept. I had the clipping from the Herald at one time but I must have trashed it.
I also remember the Eau Claire masterplan from the 80's, in fact the 55 storey Dome tower from my post above is from that plan.

 

[FCC1982]

Just going through this thread again (because I love it in a bittersweet way) a couple of the more recent (i.e. post 1980's) projects I really wish had got built include:

- Hairy Pontinari on 9th Ave.


- Kings on Fourth - I remember the version posted here plus an earlier PoMo design - I actually liked them both.


- Alberta Boot site


and I'm sorry but the Bow at it's originally proposed height would have kicked ass !


There are a couple of others no one has posted renderings of yet that I would love to see:
- The Exchange
- The Shard (City Centre)

Thanks all.

 

[darwink]

Some more obscure proposals for someone to find:
-really obscure: Spray Lakes resort proposal from early 80’s that would have spanned from Tent Ridge at the south of the lake to Mt. Lougheed at the north. Included 4 skiable mountains, several mid rise hotels and a very long gondola lift connecting it all together

I think I saw some of that proposal in the bid book for 80s Olympic bid. Will see if I saved that anywhere.

 

[Skyfire]

Is it too soon to put Harvard's Eau Claire iterations in this thread for posterity?

I can only find the iteration from 2013, there was a much older one from 2006 or so that was very different.

 

[darwink]

1st phase would has been simplified:

But still likely to change due to Green Line.

 

[UrbanWarrior]

The first phase won’t interact with Eau Claire Station, only the other phases will.

I actually really like the simplified version. It’s less pie in the sky and more functional.

 

[gsunnyg]

Yea I wouldn't mind the first phase going ahead. Looks like good street activation and the towers ain't bad, the rest of the land needs to be worked out better.