.gif)
Devonian Gardens (Calgary)
Encyclopedia
Devonian Gardens is a large indoor park and botanical garden
located in the downtown core
of Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. The park is currently closed for a major $23.5-million renovation (as of August 30, 2008) and is expected to re-open in Summer 2012.
Located on the Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall
(8 Avenue SW) between 2 Street SW and 3 Street SW, the park is completely enclosed with glass and covers 2.5 acres (10,117.2 m²) (one full city block) on the top floor of The Core Shopping Centre (formerly TD Square). It is maintained by The City of Calgary Parks.
Opening in 1977, Devonian Gardens was designed by J.H. Cook Architects and Engineers and donated to the City of Calgary by the Devonian Group of Charitable Foundations and Calford Properties. The construction cost was 9 million dollars
.
The original gardens contained more than 20,000 plants representing 135 tropical and local species, decorated with waterfalls, bridges, koi
ponds and sculptures by local artists, showcased as a permanent art exhibition.
A major redevelopment of The Core Shopping Centre (formerly TD Square) beneath the park began in 2008, and required the gardens to close for renovations. The changes include a wider, taller circulation space in the mall below and installation of a 3-block long, continuous skylight above. The park is undergoing a complete overhaul to coincide with these renovations. While reopening was anticipated to be late Fall 2011, it is now expected to reopen in Summer 2012. Minor construction delays have resulted in a lost window of opportunity to safely bring in tropical plants to the new Gardens. A number of exotic and fragile plants can only be shipped during certain times of the year as the plants must be craned up into the 4th storey Gardens from the outside. The cold temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns in Calgary in late fall require The City to delay the shipment of these plants to the spring so that the risk of loss is minimized.
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
located in the downtown core
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The park is currently closed for a major $23.5-million renovation (as of August 30, 2008) and is expected to re-open in Summer 2012.
Located on the Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
(8 Avenue SW) between 2 Street SW and 3 Street SW, the park is completely enclosed with glass and covers 2.5 acres (10,117.2 m²) (one full city block) on the top floor of The Core Shopping Centre (formerly TD Square). It is maintained by The City of Calgary Parks.
History
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
.
The original gardens contained more than 20,000 plants representing 135 tropical and local species, decorated with waterfalls, bridges, koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
ponds and sculptures by local artists, showcased as a permanent art exhibition.
A major redevelopment of The Core Shopping Centre (formerly TD Square) beneath the park began in 2008, and required the gardens to close for renovations. The changes include a wider, taller circulation space in the mall below and installation of a 3-block long, continuous skylight above. The park is undergoing a complete overhaul to coincide with these renovations. While reopening was anticipated to be late Fall 2011, it is now expected to reopen in Summer 2012. Minor construction delays have resulted in a lost window of opportunity to safely bring in tropical plants to the new Gardens. A number of exotic and fragile plants can only be shipped during certain times of the year as the plants must be craned up into the 4th storey Gardens from the outside. The cold temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns in Calgary in late fall require The City to delay the shipment of these plants to the spring so that the risk of loss is minimized.
See also
External links
- City of Calgary. Devonian Gardens
- City of Calgary. Civic Art Collection > Devonian Gardens