CHI's Mid-Century Modern (MCM) building tour of downtown Calgary, sponsored by the Esker Foundation, was a fantastic little history lesson about some of the buildings that we walk by every day and often don’t take the time to stop and take a really good look at.
Cynthia Klaassen, the president of CHI, led the walk and provided us with a ton of interesting information and context for all the buildings on the tour (fun fact – did you know the term “Parkade” was coined in the late 50s for the Hudson’s Bay parking lot structure on 7th Ave?). While ostensibly focussed on MCM designs, the tour also included significant buildings that were built around the same time but in a more International and Brutalist styles as well. It was a great outing and I’d encourage anyone interested in this period of architecture to keep an eye out for future events, it’s well worth it!
Check out this blog for a full, illustrated description of the tour: Calgary MCM Brutalist Architecture Tour 2015
