A responsive LED wall system is programmed to mirror the movement of pedestrians travelling through the renovated 4th Street Underpass, at the southern edge of downtown Calgary.
PROJECT 4th Street SW Underpass Enhancement, Calgary, Alberta
ARCHITECT the marc boutin architectural collaborative inc.
TEXT Ximena Gonzalez
PHOTOS Yellow Camera
When the economic downturn hit Calgary in 2014, offices and businesses vacated the city?s downtown core. Today, with the added impact of the pandemic, nearly 30 percent of office space remains vacant. But a program started when the city was booming is helping hold up spirits and support future investment in Calgary?s business district.
Launched in 2010, the Centre City Underpass Enhancement program set out to improve the pedestrian experience at each of the eight railway underpasses joining downtown Calgary to the Beltline neighbourhood to the south. These underpasses were originally designed to overcome the ground-level barrier created by the CP rail line at the southern edge of the core, and move cars in and out of downtown. Little thought was given to people moving on foot, who were funneled along narrow sidewalks at the edges of the underpasses. Location plan
A decade ago?with a thriving economy and thousands of pedestrians using the underpasses on a daily basis?the possibilities for improving these infrastructural links seemed endless. ?The Centre City is the economic engine of Calgary,? reads the Downtown Underpass Urban Design Guide...