Thoughts on Edmonton's architecture, a personal view

I'm studying architecture and am fortunate to have parents who took me to England and Europe to see buildings of great beauty. I returned from these trips with a funny feeling about Edmonton for every building planned seemed featureless. As I grew older the anguish grew. Why couldn't we have some city leaders who shared my interest in creating a place of beauty.


Trashing buildings seemed to be a better way to generate money perhaps.


Now, I've given up hoping for beautiful buildings. We destroy our history rather than treasure it. There are of course some buildings to admire; our City Hall, the original Space Science Centre and the Community buildings in St. Alberta, the last two designed by our Indian Architect. City Hall by Gene Dub, the Coronation Pool by Hemingway, Muttart Conservatory, Corbett Hall and the downtown Grant MacEwan College.


But mediocrity easily destroyed fragile strip malls again to make easy money for city coffers, hideous oversized homes and cardboard apartments.


Maybe the twenty-first century will develop some buildings of style to match the glorious river valley developments started by Peter Lougheed. I still grieve for the few buildings which set me on the architectural search.