New EnCana Towers in Calgary

[robpark]

Don't know if anyone is into architecture like I am, but if anyone is they may find it interesting/awesome that Foster And Partners has been selected to design EnCana's two new towers in Calgary. The same firm is responsible for the Gherkin (Swiss Re HQ, 30 St. Mary Axe) and the Egg (City Offices) in London...

Very cool... One of the towers is supposed to be 60+ stories and the development will feature over 2 million square feet of office space.

Foster and Partners: Click Here

News brief about development: Dual Towers...

[Kirbs17]

Im not sure if this is the development or not, but theres supposed to be towers put up on penny lane land, right where cowboys/cielies are

[l8braker]

^ This is along the 7th Street Lrt route across from the Hyatt. They're demoloshing the hotel on the corer there. I can't wait to see what they come up with. Should be great

[robpark]

Im not sure if this is the development or not, but theres supposed to be towers put up on penny lane land, right where cowboys/cielies are

NO that is a different development, the Encana one will take up two blocks between 7th and 5th Ave and will be East of Center St.

[Shaolin]

I don't follow architecture, although I took an art option in school and have heard the name Norman Foster.. the stuff he does is beautiful.. I can't wait to see it come to life.

[izzoblitzo]

I work in the Development Department at City Hall... here's the lowdown on the Encana Tower... so far anyway...

http://www.mytelus.com/news/article....eID=ab_archive

Basically... from the sounds of it, They're trying to build on the land that currently has the Royal Canadian Legion and the York Hotel. There will be a lot of public uprising should Encana destroy those buildings as they build theres... (I believe it's also a heritage designation). Now, what they could possibly do is do what the Telus Convention Centre did on Stephen Avenue... just keep the fascades of the buildings, so they look like their still there, but your actually entering the Encana Building. It's still early on what they want to do, and what the City might give up... there's talk about the site expanding to reach the Police HQ, which would mean the Police would be moved out of the downtown core (i really think they should build a police HQ on the East Villiage... as that land is pretty much useless to any sort of residential/commercial development in my opinion...

The other thing is, Encana also has dibs on the land accross the street from this parcel... (accross centre street from Petro Canada building)... right now, it's a parking lot, and on the east end, theres the old Firehall.. which is also a heritage building... heritage preservers would probably also want Enana to keep that building in tact as well....

The design of the Encana building may have to have a design that incorporates, or works around these existing structures.

With what Encana wants to do (have two towers, with one being the tallest in Western Canada), they want the city to pitch in with some of the development. The two towers would probably have some sort of amenity space inbetween them on 6th avenue sorta like a central park.

And the Penny Lane towers are set to go up in the next 5 years or so.. their just waiting for some finalized stuff from the city and invesors, as well as some tenant leases to expire. When they're ready to build, it'll be two twin towers (but one will be shorter). Here's a picture:

http://www.gibbsgage.com/projects.html
(click on the 7th thumbnail down)

Take a look at some of the other towers that are going up in the next probably 5-10 years! Including the proposal for the Calgary Tower.

In my opinion, having the extra towers next to the Calgary tower is great, but it kinda shadows the tower, and it wont look as outstanding and distinctive anymore... that's like building two buildings next to the statue of liberty that are nearly the same height.

All these towers that are going up is exciting news.. it'll change Calgary's skyline for years to come. What they gotta do is introduce another Ctrain route though.. By 2025, there will be 6 ctrain routes (there are currently 3), so imagine if there was an accident on 7th ave, then imagine how many people will be stranded.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

You'd think that they'd have a tough time getting permission to tear down Royal Canadian Legion #1, and rightfully so. It's a national history-protected building, isn't it?

[izzoblitzo]

I ride the train to work every day, and the legion seems to be fine, but the Regis hotel and CUPS is right next door... nothing but homeless that hang out.. that place is trash. I dont even want to walk on that side of the street on my afternoon lunch break. I think it'd be cool if they kept the fasades, and just made it part of the building.. it'd be really good for the area... especially since some of those places along 7th avenue (on that stretch) are so slumlike.. having a professional tower presence there will scare away all the homeless.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by izzoblitzo
I ride the train to work every day, and the legion seems to be fine, but the Regis hotel and CUPS is right next door... nothing but homeless that hang out.. that place is trash. I dont even want to walk on that side of the street on my afternoon lunch break. I think it'd be cool if they kept the fasades, and just made it part of the building.. it'd be really good for the area... especially since some of those places along 7th avenue (on that stretch) are so slumlike.. having a professional tower presence there will scare away all the homeless.

100% agree. As my grandfather was a veteran, I'd like to see the Legion preserved as best they can. The rest of the slummy-ass block can be razed for all I care, the less homeless crackheads downtown, the better!

[robpark]

From what I have read, the plan is to maintain the facades of the original buildings, especially that of the York Hotel. If the city ever wants to realize it's goal of having a "cultural" district in that area, they are going to have to move the homeless out and bring in some more upmarket development. This would be a step in the right direction. Once all the old C-Train stations in downtown are removed and the new 4 car stations put up there should be an improvement along that street.

The city also has to look at cleaning up skid row, down on the corner of 7th Ave and 8th St. at the C-train Station....

It is hard to believe that the Regis Hotel was once one of THE places to stay in Calgary...

[Phy]

Originally posted by izzoblitzo
I ride the train to work every day, and the legion seems to be fine, but the Regis hotel and CUPS is right next door... nothing but homeless that hang out.. that place is trash. I dont even want to walk on that side of the street on my afternoon lunch break.

I agree with not personally wanting to deal with the homeless, and the Reeg, but CUPS is a necessary organization, unless you believe that any homeless should be denied organized help. CUPS still needs somewhere central to work from, considering most of Calgary's visible homeless hang out downtown. If the new development turfs them, where are they supposed to move? (Honest question, not rhetorical! Inform the Phy!)

[Khyron]

The news brief pages above are not loading, so perhaps they have pictures - but the design pictures I saw of the twin towers showed them shorter than the calgary tower on either side, each sloping away from it. Looked pretty sharp to me!

Khyron

[sexualbanana]

I believe the 2 Encana towers are supposed to be about the same if not taller than the Petro Canada building

[Fivewayradio]

I'm glad they hired a half decent architect, rather than the washed up hacks at Cohos Evamy or Kasian Kennedy, who always seem to get the gigs here.

[Dren]

nice..finally some new nice buildings.

[01RedDX]

.

[szw]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
TTIYWOP

Y = "youseless"?

[djayz]

wow some of those towers are just amazing
i hope downtown gets cleaned up...and i really hope they clean up the east calgary side of downtown...

that factory needs to be torn down and that whole area just needs something nicer...its all you see when you first come into downtown from memorial and it makes you wonder what the rest of downtown looks like(for outsiders)

A broken down factory on the left and a home shelter on the right. You call that an entrance?

[Xtrema]

Too many historial buildings getting in the way of developement.

Can't they be relocated (ie rip off ground and moved) so we can concentrate to a block of historical buildings and call it a day? For example, the block on 7th Ave between center and 1st has so many crappy shop that it's an eyesore. Move all the historical buildings to that block and clear out all the crap.

I like a bit of culture but we don't have room in downtown to afford it.

Yes, Foster and Partners are awesome.

[w3apon]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
I believe the 2 Encana towers are supposed to be about the same if not taller than the Petro Canada building

Yep, they want to build them 1 story taller than Petro Can.