So are we going to have a "SSP Jihad" of their comments section once it opens up on the 26th?

I personally like Halcrow Yolles' The Reach the best.

I like the Infinity design. Its unique and has signature quality. The direct path option allows a total bypass of the island, especially at night time.

The Infinity design had me thinking I had seen something like it before, and then it hit me. The Riverfront Pavillion in Spokane:

http://thumbs.imagekind.com/member/8...9e834da31f.jpg

At least that is how I would assume the netting would look in the Infinity proposal.

If that's the case, I think I'll pass.

I'm quite shocked that a "We got Gaged" design wasn't proposed.

I think the INFINITY netting with a triangular pattern, neat horizontal lines and the net eye looks quite different from the Spokane net. This could look very elegant with the right lighting at night...if they get it right. I don't think the cable net has ever been used on a bridge before. Certainly unique though!

Actually, did any of the crybaby architects from the articles about using Calatrava put their money where their mouth is and submit a design?

One worry about the infinity engineering bridge is that it will be hard to get a picture of it with the skyline - at least for the average person. The bridge itself sort of blocks the view of what is behind it.

My favourites so far are Sturgess, DeJong and Infinity.

Though on the Infinity design they will have to make sure that no one can climb the netting, lots of potential liability on that one.

Ah that's easy to prevent, just electrify the netting! ZAP! :haha:

If they add lighting it could double as a giant fly zapper at night.

The Infinity design, I think has an unobstructed view of the skyline from the outer bridge. The cable net plane seems to be only on one side.

Categorized Listing:

Cable Stayed Bridges:
Rosales
Design Vision
Buckland & Taylor
Erin Swift
Busby Perkins + Will
Associated Eng (opt 1)
DeJong
CH2M Hill (Opt 1)
Endress Ware
Arup and Fredric Swartz
Bosen Lu

Suspension Bridges:
The Rivers Crossing Team
Infinity Engineering Group
Abes Wagner


Arch Bridges:
Manu Chugh
Zhiyi You
Arup with Falko Schmidt
Halcrow Yolles (the Reach)
Delcan
IBI
Sturgess
Arup Kasian
RFR Halsall

"Standard" & Tube Bridges:
Rogers Stirk
Brett Lowe
Marc Boutin
Associated Eng (opt 2)
Halcrow & Yolles (Eddy and Flow)
CH2M Hill (opt 2)
IBHL
Saucier & Perotte
SPF:a (O-bar)
SPF:a (Glide)

lol, keep the mosquitos and those pesky teenagers away with one bridge!

Good point about climbing the netting. Though it depends upon the size of the mesh holes. Given the scale I'd say the triangular holes have 3 m sides approx.

Greetings Calgarians from Vancouver!!!

I have to hand it your local planners, they should be commended with their efforts to bring world class architecture to your city. The same cannot be said about Vancouver, which sports the same cookie cutter, prosaic, designs with its blue/green glass over and over and over and over.

Calgary has been taking the right initiatives in seeking out world renowned designers to bring only the most inspirational designs to your city. This can be seen in Norman Foster's "The Bow", Calatrava's "Peace Bridge", the competition for the new National Music Centre (attracing the likes of Jean Nouvel among others), and now the St. Patrick's Bridge development.

Perhaps the greatest thing about this competition, is that it's a competition. Unlike in Vancouver where the city allows developers to simply hand over a project to one of our paltry local firms who constantly produce designs of the most grotesque and mundane nature. Calgary has not only managed to secure a competition, but a competition with 35 PROPOSALS. That is truly incredible and unheard of. Even city's famous for attracting starchitects from around the globe for design competitions such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Chongqing, Shanghai, etc, have never had so many proposals for a single project.

This new wave of architecture monuments will surely (and has already started) to put Calgary on the world map as a center of contemporary architectural excellence.

After skimming through the 35 proposals for the St. Pat's bridge, here are my top picks for proposals in a randomized order. May the best of them win!

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...r%29,%2031.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...ects,%2030.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...sian,%2025.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...Flow,%2018.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...each,%2017.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...20Al,%2012.pdf

http://www.calgarymlc.ca/_uploads/56...%20Al,%204.pdf

Lots of good designs (and bad). One thing I get concerned about is the amount of glass you see in some bridge designs and the Peace bridge too. Who's going to keep it looking good? Much of the public art I see in the downtown is filthy.

Infinity has some interesting words for their designs.....

"Fire meets Water"

"A Form against the Norm"

35 proposals isn't really that big, most RFPs get a pretty broad response, especially in a recession.

I agree that the level of design has vastly improved in this city, but we still have a ways to go. :cheers:

I'm kinda disappointed with the design lot. I could only find 4 I like. The suspension bridges are either too crazy for my tastes or too "meh". Other than Rosales + Partners, which I thought was elegant, although the interface with the island is a bit clunky in my books.

The Delcan + DTAH looks interesting, better island interface.

The Manu Chugh has potential. I love the glass divider between pedestrians and cyclists. They need to ditch the stupid spiral ramp to the island though - along with every other proposal that has this - all traffic is going east on the island, so a nice ramp to the east seems the logical connection to the island for me.

SPF / Arup - Glide looks very interesting right now, and is my current favorite. I'm not sure it's practical, it does mention "split bike and pedestrian paths" (the top path and the curvy bottom path?) but I love the look and the gobs of stair space for people to sit and enjoy the view. The look of this bridge is unique and understated at the same time - a good fit for Calgary IMHO. Hoping to see details on this one for sure!

A couple that I would actively avoid crossing on:

Saucier + Perotte - looks WAY to enclosed on the ends for me. A loiterer's pee-fest / muggings etc. waiting to happen.

Infinity Engineering - I like the interface to the island, but the shore side is going to mean U-turns for cyclists at least once per crossing unless you are making the bridge your turn-around point on a recreational ride. That mass of netting is just too much - feels like a giant set of fishing nets to me. If they re-designed this with some suspension cables instead, I might like this one's looks at least.