WINNER OF A 2020 CANADIAN ARCHITECT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
?This is a quiet project that creates a wonderful space in the centre. It does a lot of things very beautifully and almost effortlessly, with its approach to structure, light, and fitting into its urban context. Some of the spaces are really fantastic, like the main hall opening up into the garden, even if there are other moments in the plan that are a little awkward based on the circular plan.? ? Susan Fitzgerald, juror
The community centre?s sculptural form refers to the Japanese concept of ma, or balancing solid and void.
The Calgary Japanese Community Association currently resides in two adjacent buildings: an aging four-plex from the 1970s, and a mid-century community centre that has undergone many ad hoc renovations. To optimize the use of its property and reverse its declining membership, the Association?s board set out to create a new contemporary cultural centre and community hub for Japanese immigrants in Calgary. Through their research, the architects learned about the notion of kakehashi, which translates literally as ?bridge? or ?bridge-building.? They harnessed this concept to develop a widely inclusive program that goes beyond regular cultural, social, and educational functions to also include a daycare and eight affordable senior?s housing units.
A mobius-strip-like roof responds to the sun?s path, and yields a dynamic variety of interior spaces.
The building?s irregular form and asymmetry invoke the...