4th Street SW Underpass, Calgary Urban Improvement, Alberta Design Development, Canadian Images
4th Street SW Underpass in Calgary
20 Apr 2021
4th Street SW Underpass
Design: the marc boutin architectural collaborative
Address: Calgary, AB, Canada

For the longest time, Calgary, Canada?s third-largest city, resisted the very notion of design. Then as Santiago Calatrava was called in to build the Peace Bridge, things started to change. And firms such as the marc boutin architectural collaborative (MBAC) are now able to propose ? and build ? projects that would not have been considered 15 years ago.

In 2015, Marc Boutin and his team were entrusted with an unusual task, that of revitalizing an important urban passageway, the 4th Street SW Underpass. Internationally known artist Krzysztof Wodiczko joined the team as well as Boston-based studio INVIVIA. Four years later, long-time design champion and city councilor, Druh Farrell, described the transformed infrastructure as ?a place of delight and wonder.”
MBAC has been at the forefront of Calgary’s recent transformation, with inspiring urban projects such as Memorial Drive, Poppy Plaza, and C-Square. Today, with its towers designed by Foster and BIG, and with Snøhetta?s Central Library, Calgary may not yet be the country’s top design destination, but it is definitely worth a visit.

The context

The underpass, a familiar feature of Western Canadian cities, is a modest yet essential type of urban infrastru...