Lead Firm: Public City Architecture
Completion Date: August 2020
PARK PARK is a surface parking lot in Calgary transformed into a multi-use space for people and vehicles. A two-year tactical intervention, it views the vehicle as a guest in an otherwise neighbourhood-oriented urban room. The pedestrian-focused park/parking lot features a phone charger, bike pump, library, basketball hoop, hockey targets, skateboarding elements, and a hand-warming area. The space also offers places to sit, eat, gather, or trade goods during community events. Meanwhile, revenue generation is maintained as only five of the original thirty parking spots were surrendered to the reconfigured urban park… park.
Project Credits:
Structural Engineer - Entuitive
Electrical Engineer - SMP Engineering
Fabrication and Installation - Wood Anchor
Local Installation Assistance - Ryan Murphy Construction
Calgary Parking Authority
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation
PHOTO - Kokemor Studio
PHOTO - Public City Architecture Inc.
PHOTO - Public City Architecture Inc.
PHOTO - Inglewood BIA
PHOTO - Inglewood BIA
PHOTO - Kokemor Studio
“A delightfully playful expression of highly effective tactical urbanism, this project is recognised for turning its head on the notion of the parking lot and making it instead a people ‘park’ that also allows for vehicles. The colours, patterns, iconography and structures celebrate human scale and urban space, doing so on a relatively modest budget."
"The transformative and integrative design of this parking lot into a people-friendly space is noteworthy. A lot of attention was given to designing and detailing the various spaces. Bold colours and playful forms make this space a landmark within the community."
"An energetic, thoughtful, and thought-provoking design, this project sponsors bottom-up urban actions within a context defined by a limited budget and complex circumstances. It is a masterful stroke of public realm design that challenges preconceptions of constraints to produce a space of diverse and inclusive social and cultural relations.”
Jury members