Submission #29 was the chosen one – as a bridge with a Calgary connection was selected as the design for the St. Patrick’s Island bridge.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) announced today via press release, that the low-profile arched bridge design from RFR (Paris, France) and Halsall Associates Limited of Calgary has been selected.
More than 2,000 comments on the CMLC website helped the organization, which is behind the St. Patrick’s revitalization, decide on the bridge choice.
“It was a difficult decision,” said Chris Ollenberger, President and CEO of CMLC, in the release.
“All of the three finalists were engaging in their public presentations and their final submissions reflected their passion for the project. The Board of Directors was very impressed with the sensibility, aesthetics and thematic approach taken by RFR Halsall, but recognized that any one of the three final designs would have been a wonderful addition to Calgary.”
The local design and engineering firm was especially happy their concept was chosen.
“We’re elated,” said John Ford, an engineer with Halsall Associates Limited in Calgary.
“We’re very excited to be part of East Village. We tried to capture what the community wanted and to reflect the unique characteristics of this location.”??Ollenberger said the bridge’s continuous arches emulating a stone skipping across the Bow River resonated with Calgarians. He noted that others saw rolling foothills or the Chinook arch in the profile of the RFR / Halsall bridge design.??“It’s that simplicity we were shooting for,” said Ford. “This is validation that our design was understood and really worked.”??The new bridge will also feature animated lighting, a visual highlight that makes it a truly interactive structure. The bridge will replace the existing one, which only partially crosses the river near the west end of St. Patrick’s Island, and will link the island with East Village to the south and Bridgeland to the north.
Public consultation will now begin on the revitalization of St. Patrick’s Island.
