The City of Calgary has announced the winners of the second annual Winter City Design Competition.
Calgary designers, artists and post-secondary students were asked to use their creative curiosity to dream up activations, designs and experiments. The two winning projects, titled Illumine and Chinook-ery, will be constructed at Stephen Avenue and 1st Street S.W., and in the Beltline’s Barb Scott Park on 12th Avenue, respectively.
“Calgary has an amazing design community and we’re excited to provide creative opportunities to help bring their ideas to life,” says Kate Zago, lead of the competition. “We can’t wait to showcase these designs in February and have people enjoy the new experiences to help create vibrancy, better social connections and increase overall social wellness during the winter months.”
The two winners that will receive funding to build and install their designs in February 2023 are:
Illumine comprises three glowing frames, each containing movable and interactive elements, focused on public interactions and constant creation. The project team includes Paul Miller and Miles Abesdris.
“As an architect, the decision to participate in the competition was driven by the desire to contribute to an engaging public realm and the greater community,” says Miller, principal with Mion Architecture. “I believe even a small, temporary intervention can materially enrich the life of a street and can become a catalyst for greater human connection.”
Chinook-ery is inspired by the landscape with modular structures including benches, slides, lights and tunnels that can be organized to support various activities and experienced differently with the fluctuating weather conditions. The project was designed by Giovanni Carano, Vince Ellis, Kayla Royce, Marcia Eng, Jenn Comrie, David Kowel, Leighton Ginther, Jon van Heyst, Kim Crews.
“We loved the opportunity to work across professional disciplines, to think creatively about a local park and to celebrate playful designs that enhance the experience of being outside during the winter season for residents, workers and visitors of the Beltline,” says Royce, transportation engineer with Urban Systems.
