And one from Bigtime's buddy Mr Platt.
News Columnists / Michael Platt
Bridge walks all over mediocrity
By MICHAEL PLATT
You either love it or hate it, and that's exactly the point.
Somewhere in the fog of political controversy that's clouded Calgary's Calatrava-designed Peace Bridge, the most remarkable achievement has been lost.
For Calgary, it's almost a miracle -- and if it wasn't for the controversy over civic politics and the untimely, undemocratic expense of the $24.5 million span, it would certainly be the central story surrounding the new bridge.
Calgarians, for one of the very few times in this city's 134-year history, are genuinely excited about architecture.
By excited, we're referring to a strong emotional reaction, both pro and con -- people either loathe or adore the red-trestle tube designed by Santiago Calatrava to ferry human traffic over the Bow River.
Ignore the bitter politics, and pretend Calgary's new bridge was a gift from some philanthropic billionaire, and it's the public emotion that really sets this structure apart.
It's a rare day in Calgary when the population actually debates the esthetics merits of buildings or infrastructure -- yet around the office water cooler, it's what citizens are talking about.
Above and beyond the divided opinion on whether the bridge should have been approved in the first place, Calgarians have a strong opinion on what the structure looks like. And that, in this city, is a rare achievement.
The Husky Tower, the Saddledome, Calgary's Municipal Building -- the list is too short, when it comes to local architecture that has really stirred Calgarians to react with anger or embrace.
There was a spark of excited passion when the design for EnCana's giant Bow Building was unveiled three years ago, though it was really little more than the usual glass tower, built as a curve.
Still, the lively reaction to The Bow suggested Calgarians were ready for architecture that really challenges the senses.
With the Peace Bridge, we finally have it.
Calatrava's bridge, seen by some as an ugly drinking straw laid on end, and others as the sleek embodiment of urban cool, ushers a new era of design that does more than just sit there, taking up space.
It's about time, too.
Calgary, for too long, has been a city of concrete and complacency, where mini-malls, box stores and beige houses dominate the landscape.
Build it and they will yawn, seemed to be Calgary's motto, as historic buildings were torn down and drab boxes put up in their place, with cookie cutter towers showing little imagination as they filled the skyline.
Citizens shrugged, and local architects wallowed in mediocrity, reproducing the same stale designs for clients too timid or cheap to rock the boat.
Spending $24.5 million on an unnecessary bridge was the most politically brainless move a city council could make during a recession, but it was a bold choice to demand something different.
The Calatrava project is a torpedo in the bow of mediocrity, and that council felt the need to hire a foreign architect should be a slap in the face of all local designers.
Calgary's architects should ask themselves when they last drew an audience with something they designed -- because when this bridge is finished, it'll draw curious Calgarians like moths to a porch light.
A queue to cross the new bridge? It's likely, and for Calgary, it's a miracle.
Hopefully, the grand opening in fall of 2010 also draw a few impressionable young architects, who'll see this as the new standard.
This columnist will certainly be there, to see whether the artistic renderings match the reality.
Personally, I'm hoping the reality is better than the drawing. I was on vacation when the drawings were released, and I returned last week, keen to see what all the controversy is about.
My first reaction was surprise. Spain's top architect, famous for soaring structures filling the air, had given us a tube -- a red tube, with LED lights and braided steel.
The need to keep airspace clear had restricted Calatrava, and the result is a little like hiring Motorhead to play an all-acoustic venue. Great act, wrong stage.
Calatrava's bridge isn't boring though, that's for sure. I've spent days thinking about it, discussing it with friends and co-workers.
It isn't for me, but it soars far above Calgary's usual attempts at architecture.
I hate it, and that's a very good thing.
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/colum...77281-sun.html
/Ramsayfarian, reading the Sun so you don't have to.
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