The Toronto-based architecture and design publication has selected the Peace Bridge and The Bow tower to be the only Canadian projects on its short list. The collection, dubbed the staff’s “favourite architectural moments from 2012,” includes the CCTV headquarters in Beijing, Book Mountain in Rotterdam and the all-glass House NA in Tokyo.
The magazine has high praise for the project that many Calgarians loved to hate throughout its two-year construction. The Peace Bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is third on the list.
Photo by Incremental Photo on Flickr.
“Painted a brilliant red on the exterior and white internally, the long, lean structure has a glass roof and integrated linear lighting for night-time illumination,” reads Azure’s description. “A dedicated bike lane runs down the centre with foot traffic travelling along elevated sidewalks on either side.”
Originally estimated to serve 5,000 pedestrians daily, the bridge sees an average of 6,000 Calgarians using it each day.
Photo by Chealion on Flickr.
The Bow Building, designed by Foster + Partners, came in tenth place, being recognized for its “sustainable attributes; top among them is the building’s curved form that’s designed to use sunlight to heat the interior,” says the magazine.
“It is an important symbol for the oil-rich city that’s just beginning to pay attention to the look of its downtown core and to the quality of its buildings.”