2 temporary art installations coming to downtown Calgary

One of Calgary's 2023 Winter City Design Competition winners: Chinook-ery. (City of Calgary)

Calgary will temporarily be home to two new art installations designed to make the city more welcoming during the winter months.

The projects are a part of Calgary's annual Winter City Design Competition, which sees local engineers, architects, artists and post-secondary students dream up creative new elements for Stephen Avenue and the Beltline.

"Calgary has an amazing design community and we’re excited to provide creative opportunities to help bring their ideas to life," competition spokesperson Kate Zago said.

"We can’t wait to showcase these designs in February and have people enjoy the new experiences to help create vibrancy, better social connections and increase overall social wellness during the winter months."

The two winning entries, titled Illumine and Chinook-ery, will be on display from Feb. 1 to 26.

The teams who created them will receive $15,000 to construct and install their designs.

ILLUMINE

One of Calgary's 2023 Winter City Design Competition winners: llumine. (City of Calgary) Illumine, from Paul Miller and Miles Abesdris, features three glowing frames, each containing movable and interactive elements, and is focused on public interaction and creation.

"As an architect, the decision to participate in the competition was driven by the desire to contribute to an engaging public realm and the greater community," Miller said. 

Illumine will be installed at Stephen Avenue and First Street S.W.

CHINOOK-ERY

Calgary's 2023 Winter City Design Competition winners: Chinook-ery (top) and Illumine (bottom). (City of Calgary) Chinook-ery, inspired by southern Alberta’s landscape, will feature benches, slides, lights and tunnels that can be moved and experienced differently with the fluctuating weather conditions.

The project was designed by Giovanni Carano, Vince Ellis, Kayla Royce, Marcia Eng, Jenn Comrie, David Kowel, Leighton Ginther, Jon van Heyst and Kim Crews.

"We are professional engineers, designers and planners that work in the Beltline (with some of us living there too),” said Royce.

"We loved the opportunity to work across professional disciplines, to think creatively about a local park and to celebrate playful designs that enhance the experience of being outside during the winter season."

Chinook-ery will be built at Barb Scott Park in the 1200 block of Ninth Street S.W., home of the Chinook Arc.

To learn more about the winning designs and to see all the submissions for the Winter City Design Competition, you can visit the City of Calgary's website.