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The Keynote Development Corporation launched construction of their eponymous three-tower development in January 2007, reshaping nearly an entire block of Victoria Park. The urban village concept that Gibbs Gage Architects envisioned would provide a mixture of residential, retail and office space across the trio of highrises, with each concluding their ascent in the form of angled rooflines.
Trumpeted as the largest mixed-use highrise development outside the downtown core, the multi-faceted project included two residential towers of 34 and 26 storeys, collectively holding 429 units. A 14-storey office tower — easily distinguished by its lack of balconies — allocated 230,000 square feet of contemporary workspace.
A 40,000-square-foot retail podium, anchored by a 32,000-square-foot Sunterra Market, would serve as the unifying element for the project. An internal network of roof gardens and Plus-15 connections also enhance the circulation of the complex.
In the throwback photo above, taken from 10 Avenue SE, the final residential tower can be seen nearing exterior completion. The tallest of the three, the building would complete the trifecta initially visualized, enclosing the retail podium and rooftop garden.
Today, the finished development has become one of the area's most conspicuous pieces of the urban fabric. As seen in the image above, advertising on the hoarding surrounding the site of Strategic Group's One Tower reminds us that this view of Keynote will eventually be blocked by another sign of Calgary's evolving city centre.
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