When the design of the Peace Bridge was first unveiled to the public, many Calgarians roared with disapproval and haven’t changed their attitude since. The quirky structure certainly did not suit the nature of Calgary, and the hefty price tag ($24.5 million!) left taxpayers reeling. They were also not amused by the fact that this bridge was designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who has designed beautiful bridges in many parts of the world. They knew that because he was a renowned architect, the City had to pay more money in order to get his attention. While many Calgarians were in agreement that Calatrava had created distinct bridges that made cities that much more attractive, they just didn’t believe that this bridge would represent Calgary.
After taking a cursory glance of the artist’s renderings in the paper, I came to the conclusion that this bridge looks like a long piece of candy. I did like the uniqueness of the design, its helix-shaped structure which had a futuristic appeal. However, I did not appreciate the strong red colour of the bridge. I believe it was designed this way to catch people’s attention, and to set itself apart from all the other bridges. This is the exact problem, however, because the bridge is so different that it sets itself out as an oddity. It’s certainly a complex piece of work, with the City of Calgary calling it “the largest single-span bridge.”
Shortly after the design was revealed, the bridge needed a name. With careful consideration, the bridge that caused the most stir had a new name- the “Peace” Bridge (the name could not have been more ironic). As construction went underway last Spring, the City was hopeful that everything will go as planned and Calgary would have a brand new bridge to celebrate in the coming months.
Fast-forward a year later and the so-called “Peace” bridge unfortunately did not bring any peace to the city, as the Council continues to scratch their heads as to where all that money went. As the construction continues for this bridge, I am left to wonder if this $24.5 million structure will ever be finished. This bridge will continue to be the subject of criticism until the day of its unveiling. When everything is said and done, this bridge will be remembered as not only coming with an expensive price tag, but a handful of Aspirin as well.
