While it is currently considered one of the most desirable public spaces in downtown Calgary, Eau Claire is a conglomerated collection of left over spaces along the Bow River. Since the Eau Claire Market was originally developed in the 1980’s, the adjacent public space has been subjected to a series of quick fixes and band-aid solutions to try and create an active and vibrant public space. The result is a space with no real recognizable identity, a lack of order and limited connection between itself and the general public.
This project is about resurrecting an important public space that has become separated from the City’s conscience over the course of three decades. Three main conceptual gestures have informed the project:
1. Consolidate and reclaim the public space into a legible and identifiable civic space.
2. Create a conceptual bridge between the urban core of the downtown and the river pathway and Prince’s Island.
3. Provide an infrastructure within the plaza that sponsors both structured and unstructured activities to occur in the space throughout the year.
