OK. I attended the opening of Architecture and Design week tonight featuring a talk by Calgary Architect Jeremy Sturgess (Bridges Plan, 7th ave etc). He showed us his initial plans/renderings for a 70 storey tower to be built on one of the rumoured sites of the supposed EnCana tower for a major Vancouver developer.

He presented this to the whole audience, but I asked him more about it after. So this is the deal. The owner of two lots on either side of 6th ave on centre street is tendering offers for the land, because he "really, really" wants to sell it. There is an offer and proposal from an unknown developer/potential tenent to build (according to Sturgess) an office tower "about the size of Petro-Canada" He speculates roughly 50-55 storeys. The land-owner is in the process of reviewing the offer, and the developer is going through the process of securing financial backing... That proposal may go through. Sturgess said they will know in about 2 weeks.

However, Sturgess and a major Vancouver developer are proposing something different for the site(s). On the lot directly east of Petro-Canada (seen in the image below) He is proposing a 70 storey tower - significantly taller than Petro-Canada. He passionately expressed to me his desire for a signiture tower for this site and that he is pushing this proposal extremely hard top both the land owner, developer and city. From what I gathered Condos will be at least a part of the development. Sturgess said the Vancouver developer is defintely going to buy the land depending on what happens with the other proposal.

Here is the site - the bottom lot is where the 70 storey tower is to go. The site on the south side of 6th will feature two shorter residential towers with a plaza leading from 7th ave (blue area) across the south site to the tower site.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/joshwhit/sturgess2.bmp





Sturgess also showed us some initial renderings of the tower - basically the height and massing - it is a very slender tower (curtain glass - in an image that was something like this: the height is purely based on my memory of the image he showed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/joshwhit/sturgess5.bmp

It would look something like this in the skyline:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/joshwhit/sturgess4.bmp


I hope to god his is the proposal that goes through - the guy is a fucking visionary!!!!

As for EnCana's involvement - they have nothing to do with sturgess' proposal - I asked him if he know if EnCana was involved in the other proposal - he said he had absolutely no clue...

Wow, 70 stories would look sexy in Calgary.

Long overdue! No more, I repeat, NO MORE f*cking twins!

Sturgess' proposal is not a twin.

Wouldnt it be neat if Calgary was to end up someday like the Canadian Chicago or something to that affect ? this would take a very long time though of course.

This would single handidly place Calgary into one of the top 5 skylines in N/A

Josh, I remember a proposed tower circa 1980 - it was never built - that is very similar to what you are describing. If I remember correctly, it was called "plaza 75". It was 75 stories, and very slender with lots of glass.

There's a lot of plans going on in Calgary right now for office construction. As much as I hope this goes through I won't believe any of it (even an announcement by the developer) until there are shovels in the ground.

I hope this happens, Calgary really needs a building like this. But I wonder how bad traffic will be on 6th Ave now and the ctrain platforms, also is there any timeline for this project.

Calgary certainly deserves this!

Sturgess' proposal is not a twin.

I know! Every other proposal seems to be though!

It is nice to see more development east of Centre Street!

This is good news for Calgary

We deserve this tower. Let's just hope that Sturgess can win over the landowner. If that happens, the chances of this tower being built will increase exponentially. :cheers1:

This is good news for Calgary

No. It's good news for Canada.

Wow. O.O, i reckon this ough to be 210m - 250m if it's at 70 stories!

More than that, especially considering that building now a days have 9-10ft ceilings. I'd say roughly 300m...around the size of the Chrystler building in New York

sounds amazing!

Wow. O.O, i reckon this ough to be 210m - 250m if it's at 70 stories!

Petro Can is 215m and it has 53 floors. So if this one does end up having 70 floors it probably would be atleast 1000ft/300m.

It sounds like it will be a condo which have more floors per foot than offices it will probably be 230m.

Josh said that condos are only part of the development though, and those probably on the smaller lot. For the tall tower, on that piece of real estate, we're most likely looking at offices.

EDIT: Plus, if you think about it, we are looking at something that will be 'significantly taller than Petro Can". A mere 15m isn't something that anyone here would call significant now is it? But how about 75m-85m? Now there's a height increase.

No. It's good news for Canada.

Let's not rain all over Calgary's parade now.

The renderings he showed - the tower was atleast 150-200 ft. taller than Petro Canada.

damn i hope they build this!! it would give the calgary skyline a signature tower and really have a huge effect on the skyline.

I love the location of it on the skyline, right on one side. Will give it a prominent look. Hope it gets built!

No. It's good news for Canada.


No. It's good news for the world.

No. It's good news for the world.
huh?? i can see why its good news for calgary...and canada...but the world?
why do you say that?

sssooooo......cricket, cricket, cricket

would drastically change the city

That would be cool if Calgary got a building taller than Toronto(not including CN), even though this one doesnt sound to be that tall, it would be quite interesting and contriversial

^ Why would it be contriversial? Is there some rule that Toronto has to have the tallest building?

This sounds like a neat idea, but I can't help but think that Edmonton needs the new construction way more than Calgary. Calgary already has 10 buildings over 150m while Edmonton has none. it would be nice for Calgary to have something a bit more defining though. It could really use a focal point.

Would be nice if Edmonton and Montreal got 50 or 70 story building too. That would be look so nice in Calgary skyline.

This sounds like a neat idea, but I can't help but think that Edmonton needs the new construction way more than Calgary. Calgary already has 10 buildings over 150m while Edmonton has none. it would be nice for Calgary to have something a bit more defining though. It could really use a focal point.
The City Center Airport establishes height limits for buildings within the downtown core. Basically, we will not see a building over 150m unless the City Center Airport is closed.

Edmonton has a good number of buildings underconstruction/ proposed in and around the downtown, most between 12 and 30 storeys.

This is good news for Calgary

It´s also good news for Canada!

When will it be built? What architect?

Perhaps Calgary developers could look at Australia's cities (mainly Melbourne) for some inspiration. A glitzy 70 storey tower will of course show Calgary in a new light, but given Calgary's continuing emergence as an economic powerhouse, this reflects on Canada as a whole.

It is up to Calgary to build Canada's next jewel because it will not happen in any other Canadian city. I am eager to see Toronto's Sapphire tower, Trump Tower and the Ritz Carlton (Maple Leaf Square development), and of course a couple of towers in Vancouver (Shangri-la, 1133 West Georgia, and 801 West Georgia)...but as far as office towers are concerned, it will rest on Calgary to build Canada's next tallest (or close to it)!!!

Perhaps Calgary developers could look at Australia's cities (mainly Melbourne) for some inspiration. A glitzy 70 storey tower will of course show Calgary in a new light, but given Calgary's continuing emergence as an economic powerhouse, this reflects on Canada as a whole.

It is up to Calgary to build Canada's next jewel because it will not happen in any other Canadian city. I am eager to see Toronto's Sapphire tower, Trump Tower and the Ritz Carlton (Maple Leaf Square development), and of course a couple of towers in Vancouver (Shangri-la, 1133 West Georgia, and 801 West Georgia)...but as far as office towers are concerned, it will rest on Calgary to build Canada's next tallest (or close to it)!!!

well there may be something to that point but office vacancy rates in toronto are falling and soon toronto will need another big office tower, and if they wait long enough, (especially if calgary takes the title of tallest skyscraper in canada) someone in toronto with a big enough ego will build something taller.

I hope so!

I never knew that about Edmonton. I thought the high restriction was lifted when they moved the International down south.

I never knew that about Edmonton. I thought the high restriction was lifted when they moved the International down south.
Nope, the height restrictions are still in full effect.

Ahaha, yes- that would be quite nice. But what happens to all the office space in Calgary and Edmonton when the oil runs out? Hopefully the economy will diversify enough by then. Unless it's occupied by an un-oil related company.

Ahaha, yes- that would be quite nice. But what happens to all the office space in Calgary and Edmonton when the oil runs out? Hopefully the economy will diversify enough by then. Unless it's occupied by an un-oil related company.
Well, first off, most of the office space in Edmonton is occupied by companies that are not related to the oil & gas industry. Edmonton has the second most diversified economy in all major Canadian cities according to the Conference Board of Canada.

Well Calgary and Edmonton are already takeing steps to diversify there economies but Calgary even more so than Edmonton. The oil wont run out for a very long time...besides if it does just turn them into tourist cities like Dubai, JK.

Well Calgary and Edmonton are already takeing steps to diversify there economies but Calgary even more so than Edmonton.
How so? Edmonton has the fourth largest cluster of biotechnology companies in Canada after Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Fact is, the majority of the companies that call Calgary home are energy and resource-based. However, I do agree that both cities have diversified from the O&G sector compared to the 80's.