Injecting colour and energy into a vibrant downtown neighbourhood.

Colours is a key component in the reemergence of 1st Street SW as a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly street of shops and restaurants—the result of a forward-thinking neighbourhood plan that came to fruition through the efforts of a few committed community residents with the support of the City of Calgary. The tower reinvigorated the street with playful colours, street-level retail and a more pedestrian-scaled street environment; the undulating face of storefronts, set back slightly from the property line and sheltered by a canopy, provide modulated spaces for seating for the restaurants and cafes within. With no stairs to building entrances, the transition from sidewalk to the interior is smooth and direct.

At a larger urban scale, the residential tower is tapered to the corners to soften the scale of its floor plates and orient views to the mountains and city skyline. The red colour of the building core is visible throughout the building’s height, marking the entry to the residences on 13th Avenue. On the south side, a garden on the roof of the plinth features a planted wall that will climb a full storey which, like the coloured glass screen, will turn a potentially bland face into a visual amenity.