Chinook Centre Pedestrian Overpass
An iconic gateway spanning Macleod Trail
Bridges & Urban Infrastructure
Crossing one of the busiest intersections outside of the downtown core, the Chinook Pedestrian Bridge provides pedestrians with a much safer Macleod Trail crossing.
The bridge was designed through a rigorous process using new and old technologies. Early hand sketches were used to decide the scope and direction the bridge would take. Later, 3D modelling, combined with the site plan, helped decide the final form.
The Chinook Pedestrian Bridge is an important component of an attractive, walkable and complete urban corridor, providing an increased focus of travel by foot, bicycle and transit.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
- Size
- 11,420 sq ft
- Client
- Read Jones Christofferson & Cadillac Fairview Corp. Ltd.
- Completion
- 2017
- Collaborators
Cadillac Fairview Corporation
RJC Engineers- DIALOG Services
Architecture
The bridge gives pedestrians a safer Macleod Trail crossing providing a protected, direct, and uninterrupted connection between the Chinook Centre mall and the Chinook Centre LRT station.
The Chinook Centre Pedestrian Bridge has been designed as three distinct objects; the east and west pavilions, and the bridge structure.
The larger East Pavilion acts as the main entrance for pedestrians arriving west on 61st Ave and from the east side of Macleod Trail.
The smaller West Pavilion allows access from the west side of Macleod Trail or from the Chinook Centre parking lot.
The two pavilions clearly signify the entrance to the bridge, encouraging use and creating an iconic gateway over Macleod Trail.
The south face of the bridge span uses different glazing, a highly tinted low-e glazing to reduce solar gain.
The diagonal grid pattern was designed with shading in mind, maximizing transparency where possible and opacity where necessary.
Significant thought was put into reducing the size of the pavilions while meeting functional and circulation requirements.
The Team
Brian Pincott, Calgary City Councillor“You have now taken what is the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and made it work much, much better for pedestrians.”
The overpass design evolved through a rigorous process that included sketching, 3D printing, model making, and rendering.
