9th Avenue Parkade + Innovation Center / 5468796 Architecture + Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning

The City of Calgary required a downtown parkade to free up multiple downtown lots for development. Understanding the likelihood of building’s future obsolescence, municipal officials also wanted a creative solution that would justify the expenditure now and in the future. And so, the city asked 5468796 Architecture in collaboration with Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning to design a 510-stall parkade that could be easily converted into an office, light industrial, or residential building. The project site – adjacent to the new Calgary Library, Calgary City Hall, and the Studio Bell, (the National Music Centre) – included an unbuildable easement for an underground light rail tunnel, cutting through the middle of the project site and representing what the city determined as a 20% loss in the buildable area.