The Bow (skyscraper)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article or section contains information about expected future buildings or structures.
Some or all of this information may be speculative, and the content may change as building construction begins.
The Bow

Artist's impression
Information
Location Flag of Calgary, Alberta Calgary
Flag of Alberta Alberta
Flag of Canada Canada
Coordinates 51°02′52″N 114°03′44″W / 51.04778, -114.06222
Status Under construction
Groundbreaking June 13, 2007
Estimated completion 2011
Use Office
Roof 236 m (774 ft)
Floor count 58 floors
53 office floors
2 retail floors
4 mechanical floors
3 sky gardens
Companies
Architect Foster and Partners
Contractor Ledcor
Developer Matthews Southwest
Owner H&R Real Estate Investment Trust

The Bow is a 158,000 square meter (1.7-million-sq.-ft.) office building currently under construction for the headquarters of EnCana Corporation. The skyscraper will be built in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The building will be the tallest office tower in Canada outside of Toronto. ref>CBC Article (October 2006). EnCana unveils plans for downtown Calgary office tower. Retrieved on 2006-01-06.</ref> The tower is also considered the start of redevelopment in Downtown East Village.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

Future location of The Bow; the York Hotel will be incorporated in the building complex
Future location of The Bow; the York Hotel will be incorporated in the building complex

[edit] Early project

The proposed highrise was announced in 2006 by EnCana Corporation, North America's second largest natural gas producer. Early designs suggested that the project would consist of a complex of towers (perhaps two or more) over two blocks. The tallest of these towers could be 60-stories tall, which would make it taller than the current tallest tower in Western Canada, the Petro-Canada Centre (also in Calgary). Conflicting reports suggested that it would be one single tower around 70 stories tall and possibly over 1,000 feet (305 m), making it the tallest building in Canada. Other sources suggested a two tower complex spanning the entire surface of two blocks, with a second tower of 40 to 50 storeys connected at 6th storey level over 6th Avenue.[2] Official statements declare that the tower will be 59 stories, or 247 meters (810 ft) tall.

The management company in charge of the project is Texas-based Matthews Southwest, with architectural services being furnished by UK-based Foster and Partners.[3]

[edit] The Bow announced

The project filed for development permit application is called The Bow, for its crescent shape and the view of the Bow River.[4][5] On October 12, 2006, Foster and Partners revealed the first designs for the new tower.[6]

The project will eventually house all of EnCana's 3,300 Calgary-based employees, presently located at five different sites throughout the downtown core. With an estimated 1,700,000 square feet (158,000 m²) of total office space, the complex is expected to be the city's largest. The towers will be Canada's tallest-built since Toronto's BCE Place, completed as Canada Trust Tower in 1990. Construction costs are estimated to reach C$1 billion. Construction started in June 2007, and is expected to be completed by 2010.[7] The tower was lowered down to 236 m due to shadowing concerns. When the tower is completed it will become the 149th tallest building in the world.

On February 9, 2007, EnCana sold The Bow office project assets to H&R Real Estate Investment Trust for C$70 million,[8] while signing a 25-year tenant lease agreement that would start after the project's completion in 2011.

In late June 2007, the company announced that the Portrait Gallery of Canada would not be moving from Ottawa into the Bow.[9]

[edit] Construction

Groundbreaking took place on June 13, 2007, with work starting on both sides of 6th Avenue S between Centre Street and 1st Street E.[10] Sixth Avenue is being excavated, after closure of the block (August 21st, 2007)[11] and the six level underground parkade will be constructed on a two block area, on both north and south side of 6th Avenue.

A neighboring historic building - The York Hotel, that was built from 1929 through 1930 using the Edwardian Commercial Architectural style was demolished to make room for the new building. Because of the historical significance of the York Hotel it was important to save as much as reasonable to incorporate into the new building "The Bow". Between 70 to 80 per cent of the bricks have been saved and will be used to reconstruct two of the hotel’s exterior walls. The brown brick originally supplied by Clayburn Brick in Abbotsford and the cast-in-concrete friezes have been removed, numbered and graphed to show the original location the brick and friezes will be put on the new building in the original locations. The remainder of the building was demolished ahead of schedule by Calgary based demolition and environmental contactor Hazco. A large crane was used to lift an excavator on to the roof of the York and it was used to demolish the building floor by floor.

The concrete foundation was continuously poured over 36 hours on May 11 and 12, 2008, being the largest of its kind in Canada, and third largest in the world after the Howard Hughes Center in Los Angeles and the Sama Tower (Al Durrah Tower) in Dubai.[12] Some 14,000 m³ (494,405 cu ft) of concrete filled the 2,787 m² (29,999 sq ft) foundation.

The construction involved building a cassion wall shoring system
2008-03-20

[edit] Building details

  • Height: 236 m (774 ft)[13]
  • 58 stories
    • 2 retail floors - 18,580 m² (200,000 ft²)
    • 3 floors - sky gardens, spaced approximately every 18 floors (sky lobbies), served by express elevators
    • 53 office floors - 157,930 m² (1.7 million ft²)
    • 4 mechanical floors
  • Footprint: 17,651 m² (190,000 ft²)
  • Parking: 1,400 parking stalls (6 level parkade, spanning two blocks on both sides of 6th Avenue)
  • +15 skywalk connections to neighbouring buildings (Telus building, Petro-Canada Centre, Hyatt Regency Calgary)
Source: Encana Corporation[14]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Calgary Herald (October 2006). Calgary's future skyline unveiled. Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
  2. ^ Businessedge magazine (November 2005). Project could loom over Calgary skyline. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  3. ^ EnCana (December 2005). Architects selected for EnCana's new office complex. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  4. ^ EnCana (October 2006). EnCana unveils The Bow - Calgary's newest tower. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  5. ^ EnCana (October 2006). Foster + Partners reveals designs for a new EnCana headquarters building – The Bow - in Calgary. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  6. ^ Foster and Partners (October 2006). designs for new EnCana HQ in Calgary. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  7. ^ CTV news. EnCana's $1-billion tower to be the tallest in Calgary. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  8. ^ EnCana (February 2007). EnCana advances The Bow office project. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
  9. ^ CBC.ca Arts - National gallery not coming to Calgary building: EnCana
  10. ^ Calgary Herald (June 2007). EnCana Tower Construction Underway. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
  11. ^ Calgary Herald (August 2007). Dreaded downtown closure begins. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
  12. ^ Calgary Herald (May 2008). Concrete pour smashes record. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  13. ^ Emporis. The Bow, Calgary. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  14. ^ EnCana. The Bow fact sheet. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.
TransCanada Tower Telus Tower
v • d • e
 
Petro-Canada Centre North Calgary Board of Education
West   The Bow    East
South
Hyatt Regency Calgary Police Service Andrew Davison Building
v • d • e
Attractions and landmarks in Calgary
Landmarks
Attractions
Venues
Parks
Malls
Languages