Behind the Design

Centrium Place: (332 6 Ave. S.W.) This downtown building designed by Gibbs Gage Architects dispels any concern that the city is suffering from dry architecture. Since 1983, the design firm has had a foothold on Calgary's architectural landscape, including the Roundup Centre and Banff Centre. The group also has many high profile projects in the works, including the heavily touted Centennial Place and Penny Lane Towers. gibbsgage.com

 Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium: (1415 14 Ave. N.W.) Along with its twin-sister in Edmonton, both auditoria were originally designed in 1955 by Ronald Clarke, the Chief Architect of the Department of Public Works. Clarke grew up in London, England were he studied architecture until he came to Canada in the ‘50s. Along with the auditoria, he played a substantial role in the designs of many other educational institutions. As project director of the University of Alberta Health Sciences Centre, he managed the Centennial Hospital, H.S.C. Centre Building, the pharmacy building and the dentistry building. For the Alberta centennial in 2005, major renovations to the inside of the Jubilee were done by the CPV Group of Architects and Engineers (now Stantec Architecture). stantec.com

City of Calgary Water Centre: (625 25 Ave. S.E.) Jeremy Sturgess is the man behind the City's Water Centre ultra-modern design. Sturgess collaborated on the project with Manasc Isaac Architects to create the unique building. Born in Montreal and schooled in Toronto, Sturgess has firmly cemented his influence on the world's architectural scope, from The Post Hotel in Lake Louise to the luxurious Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel in Japan. sturgessarchitecture.com

Nexen Building: (801 7 Ave. S.W.) When the Canadian energy giant Nexen Inc (formerly Nova) needed a new home, they looked to award winning architect L. Frederick Valentine to design a defining landmark for the cityscape. For more than 40 years, the University of Toronto and Harvard graduate has redefining city landscapes worldwide. Now a principal at Stantec Architecture Ltd, some of the Calgarians other contributions to the city include the University of Calgary's Rozsa Centre and Canada Olympic Park, which in 1988 earned him the Alberta Achievement Award for outstanding contribution to the XV Olympic Winter Games. stantec.com

 
M-Tech Building: (1401 1 St. S.E.) Walker McKinley and Ben Klumper from MDB Group and Dale Taylor from Dale M. Taylor Architect Ltd were the leads on a team of architects that collaborated to design this company building for M-Tech Information technology which recently became Hitachi ID Systems. The two groups have since amalgamated to create Eleven Eleven Architecture, an award-winning and internationally recognized company known for creating innovative interior designs.