A City of Calgary First.
The City of Calgary and GEC achieved two firsts with the Westbrook LRT Station: it was the first underground station in Calgary and the first built example of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Station heads at each end of the platforms are incorporated into the high-density TOD. The TOD at the north station head is incorporated into a 100,000 square foot mixed-use office building, to help kick-off the redevelopment of this site. The south station head is built into what will become an urban park when the surrounding land is redeveloped.
Skylights over the platforms are incorporated in the design of the park, serving to bring daylight and views to the underground platforms, and also provide emergency smoke exhaust for the tunnels. Safety and CPTED concerns with the underground station were addressed in the design of the station heads by providing clear sightlines from the entries at grade down to the platforms below.