Great Plains Recreation

Agency

MJMA

Practice Area

Client

City of Calgary

Industry

  1. Entry Forecourt as Illuminated Community Beacon | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  2. Building Pylon, Building Signage, and Entry Graphic | Photo Credit: Bruce Edward Statham

  3. Entry Forecourt | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  4. Mesh Hockey Netting as Frit Pattern | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  5. Light Filled Lobby with Reflective Pattern | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  6. Ice Rink with Views Towards Interior of Mesh Hockey Netting Frit Pattern | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  7. Ice Rink with Views to Changeroom Corridor Graphic | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

  8. Changeroom Corridor Graphics | Photo Credit: Shai Gil

Project Vision

The Great Plains Recreation Facility is a new civic anchor on the east edge of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The project elevates the architectural expression in the area and sets an example for subsequent developments. The project’s bold use of color creates a warm and welcoming center point for the developing area and creates a landmark quality center for ‘sport’ and ‘community.’
Strong graphic planning emphasizes the corner site as a prominent, luminous civic beacon – announcing the presence of the facility to the area’s arterial road. A bright orange carved extrusion to the building’s arrival elevation acts as the entrance signifier – mimicking the low western sunset. The fully glazed entrance of laminated glass hockey graphics creates ‘rural billboards’ expressive of ice sports and creates a unique identity, and a backdrop for a lively animated public space. In the long winter evenings, the orange glow creates a hearth-like gesture in its snowy landscape, suggesting a warm welcoming point, filtering visitors into the lobby behind.

As the first public building in this immediate area, civic peacemaking is critical to the success of the area’s revitalization. The building’s plan is centered around a hollowed-out space between the rinks that acts as a dynamic social heart of the facility. Expansion is anticipated by developing a geometry that is ‘flipped’ and ‘mirrored’ to complete the quad pad complex; defining two arrival forecourts. The internal plan would create a centralized lobby around an elevated restaurant space.

The Great Plains Recreation Facility successfully demonstrates how a clear architectural use of color can create a comprehensive wayfinding strategy that forms the graphic identity of a developing civic hub and its larger growing community.

Project Details
Design Team

Ted Watson (partner in charge), Tarisha Dolyniuk (interiors lead), Timothy Belanger (environmental graphic design lead), Viktors Jaunkalns (design lead), Janice Lee (project architect), Philip Wharton (design team), Andrew Bramm (design team), Woosuk An (design team)

Design Firm

MJMA

Project Area

79,000 square feet

Project Budget

$24.66M

Consultants

Tom Tittemore (MTa, Architects in Association)

Fabricators

 (signage fabricators), Graham Construction (general contractor)