Parkade of the Future

June 4, 2026

Award Category Governor General's Medals in Architecture

Distinction Lauréat du Prix d’excellence

Awarded Year 2026

Location Calgary, AB

Firms 5468796 Architecture

Located in Calgary’s evolving East Village, the Parkade of the Future redefines parking infrastructure through adaptability and long-term resilience. Commissioned by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation and the Calgary Parking Authority, the 510-stall structure is designed for seamless future conversion into office, residential, or light industrial uses.

Its innovative elliptical helix form bridges an underground light rail easement, reclaiming valuable site area while creating naturally lit, ventilated floor plates that ascend gradually without ramps. Generous ceiling heights, clear spans, and universal load-bearing capacity enable low-cost adaptation over time.

At street level, public amenities including a café, basketball court, exhibition courtyard, and the PLATFORM Innovation Centre activate the urban edge and foster civic engagement. A removable recycled aluminum shroud enhances flexibility, allowing future balcony integration.

By transforming a conventional typology into adaptable urban infrastructure, the project demonstrates how public architecture can evolve alongside shifting environmental, economic, and social needs.

JURY COMMENT(S)

The jury appreciated the Parkade of the Future for its poetic reimagining of the conventional parking structure as a civic and ecological infrastructure, blending operational efficiency with urban generosity. The proposal transforms a typically utilitarian typology into a porous, adaptable framework that anticipates shifting mobility systems, including electrification and future transit modes, while opening the ground plane to public life. Through its integration of vertical landscape strategies, carbon-conscious construction, and activated shared spaces, the project reframes the parkade not as a residual urban void, but as an evolving piece of public realm infrastructure that supports both environmental performance and community engagement.