St Patrick's Island bridge comp: Which one do you like?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by nick.flood

Looking back at some of the other submissions I have to say we could have been handed much much worse. Of course there were more exciting proposals as well but the original RFR/Halsall proposal is much improved by the increased arch height. Now they better resolve the island access in this design.

I'm glad the Buckland Taylor design wasn't chosen. It screams "been done before" even more than the RFR/Halsall design. I prefer an understated design over a failed attempt at a standout.

I suppose in the end we should just be grateful that no concrete fish stamp art was added and that there were no cowboy hats, natives, or horses.

P.S. does anyone remember that hilarious drawing from another forum (Calgary puck i think) that had the flame spewing cowboy hat and the bones of dead hobos underneath it? That was awesome.

Oh, and where's the uproar over some fancy pants French firm being chosen over our local talent?

[Innersoul1]

GSUS! So basically this is just a muted version of the Arbour Lake to Royal Oak design! FML!

[Fernando]

Well, unfortunately some of the more daring designs submitted had the problem of not being structurally possible, or costing upwards of double the budget.

"The Reach" Concept, for example, which was popular was actually the sketch of an architect, but because of the objection by the Alberta Association of Architects to the format of the competition, architects got engineers names in front of the submissions - in this case Halcrow Yolles.

I think the totally open nature of the competition was actually a bit of an overreaction to the sole-source Calatrava backlash. I think an Request for Qualifications should have been put out, with a shortlist of 5 to submit concept designs - that's the best competition format.

The revised RFR design won me over. In the end, Calgary is getting two relatively understated, but actually excellent pieces of civic infrastructure in the St. Patrick's Bridge and the Peace Bridge. I also think that the riverwalk and other stuff happening in the East Village that is really overlooked in the shadow of these big bridge projects is truly world class, exciting design. The renovation of St. Patrick's Island is also something that will be amazing.

[jeffwhit]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I suppose in the end we should just be grateful that no concrete fish stamp art was added and that there were no cowboy hats, natives, or horses.

P.S. does anyone remember that hilarious drawing from another forum (Calgary puck i think) that had the flame spewing cowboy hat and the bones of dead hobos underneath it? That was awesome.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=78160

I preferred this one in particular:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...7&postcount=65

[Calgarian]

This bridge isn't bad, with a decent lighting scheme and better interaction with the Island, it should turn out pretty good. Nothing ground breaking, but after the uproar of the Peace Bridge, this one was sure to be more toned down and conservative.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by jeffwhit

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=78160

I preferred this one in particular:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...7&postcount=65

Lol!!! Hahahaha!
That's just awesome! Yeah, the cowboy hat was the one I was thinking of. Never saw the monster truck one before. Even more awesome! I love the 'recyclable material' it's composed of. Seriously, how is this stuff going on calgary puck but not this site. Haha! Awesome!

Edit: I just read the entire thread again and can;t stop laughing! ahaha!

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

GSUS! So basically this is just a muted version of the Arbour Lake to Royal Oak design! FML!

For the record, THAT bridge looks exactly like a giant McDonald's sign when approached by the road. I've now had two separate people from out of town bring it up completely on their own.

Anyone up for some culture jamming? Let's get a team together and spraypaint it bright yellow some night!

Alternatively, it also looks like a bosom.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by freeweed

For the record, THAT bridge looks exactly like a giant McDonald's sign when approached by the road. I've now had two separate people from out of town bring it up completely on their own.

Anyone up for some culture jamming? Let's get a team together and spraypaint it bright yellow some night!

Alternatively, it also looks like a bosom.

K, someone's gotta post a pic of this other Macdonalds bridge for those of us not familiar with it.

Oh, and I say we go one further and light the St. Patty's bridge on fire the next time the flames win.

[You Need A Thneed]

Certainly could have been a lot worse. I do like this proposal with the different sized arches better that the original version. The island connection as proposed is terrible, but refinement should make it better.

The lighting should be great, and if those arches are as shiny as it shows, it will look excellent with the light reflecting off of it.

I disagree somewhat with the not possible/too expensive reasoning though, Though I think there were a few that weren't possible, and some that would have been too expensive, the best ones on the list would have been neither of those.

[sim]

Definitely a little disappointing.

From the renderings it seems like it would be somewhat pleasing when actually on it, but from an exterior perspective is quite underwhelming.

[DizzyEdge]

I agree with most of these comments. Wasn't my first choice, and with the original rendering it was a unoffensive design that more or less went unnoticed. With the redesign while still conservative, it has more style, and I can't really say anything bad about it, even if it doesn't excite me.

[Surrealplaces]

If the bridge comes out having this sort of chrome/stainless steel look it may turn out not too bad. Off hand, I can't think of any bridges that have the stainless steel/chrome look.

Originally Posted by Wooster

[IMG]

[Witty Nickname]

Still better than the Glide proposal.

[CorporateWhore]

Originally Posted by Regulator75

Still better than the Glide proposal.

Funny, that's the one I loved the most.

[Witty Nickname]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

Funny, that's the one I loved the most.

So did the majority of the board. The stairs would of been so slippery in Winter and the thing looked like a giant maxi-pad.

[O-tacular]

I'd have to say looking back on the other entries in the competition there were definitely some that would have been worse, but there were also about a dozen that would have been so much better! In the end we get a forgettable, inoffensive piece of fluff that will blend in with the beige blandness we are so accustomed to already.

[WhipperSnapper]

Dont know what the problem is. It's a very elegant bridge.

I think some have unreasonable expectation because this went through a design competition. They are a dime a dozen ... too many to produce something out-of-this-world every time.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by CorporateWhore

It has the possibility of being quite an elegant bridge, but I can't helping looking at in and being underwhelmed considering all the hoopla we went through. All that effort/competition/public input etc....and that's it? Semi-yawn.

I feel the same way. While we are getting what could be a clean and elegant bridge, it is a little vanilla and a disappointment considering some of the more imaginative designs that were also proposed. Nonetheless, it could be a nice bridge that pleasantly does it's job. It'll be an accent not a center piece and maybe this will provide an opportunity for the natural environment to step up and be the stand-out feature...

[frinkprof]

Video on the Calgary Herald's site. Features CMLC CEO Chris Ollenberger and a representative from Halsall.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Video+C...173/story.html

[The Chemist]

I love it. I've got a thing for suspended arch bridges like this one, and the fact that it looks like a mini version of my favourite Shanghai bridge is an added bonus.