Telus Sky
{{short description|Skyscraper in Calgary, Alberta, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox building
|name = Calgary House (skyscraper)
|image = TELUS_SKY.jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Calgary House in September 2021
|location = 685 Centre Street SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
|coordinates = {{coord |51.0468|N|114.0636|W|display=inline}}
|status = Completed
|start_date = 2015
|completion_date = 2020
|est_completion =
|opening =
|building_type = Mixed-use (Residential & Commercial)
|roof = {{cvt|222.3|m}}
|floor_count = 60
|rooms = 326
|cost = {{CAD|400 million}}
|floor_area = {{cvt|70,721|sqm}}
|architect = Bjarke Ingels Group & Dialog
|structural_engineer= Glotman Simpson
|developer = Westbank Developments
|owner = Westbank Corporation & Allied Properties REIT
|website = {{URL| https://living.westbankcorp.com/property/calgary-house/}}
}}
Calgary House, (formerly known as TELUS Sky) is a 60-storey, {{cvt|222.3|m}}{{cite web |title=Telus Sky |url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/telus-sky/15466 |website=The Skyscraper Center |publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=July 7, 2020}} mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At completion in 2019, the structure building became the third-tallest building in Calgary behind Brookfield Place East and The Bow. As of July 2020, Telus Sky is the 18th tallest building in Canada, though several buildings in Toronto exceeding its height are under construction including The One.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/09/12/how-torontos-latest-mega-tower-got-the-green-light.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324210707/https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/09/12/how-torontos-latest-mega-tower-got-the-green-light.html |archive-date=March 24, 2019 |last=Pagliaro |first=Jennifer |date=September 12, 2016 |url-status=live |work=Toronto Star |title=How Toronto’s latest mega tower got the green light}}
Calgary House incorporates {{convert|70721|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} of mixed-use area available. There is a total of {{convert|39181|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} of office space within the structure, of which {{convert|12033|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} is leased to Telus Communications, a Canadian telecommunications company that is a subsidiary of Telus Corporation.
History
On July 4, 2013, the Telus Corporation announced the development of the $400-million (${{Inflation|CA|400|2013|r=0}}-million in {{Inflation/year|CA}}) Telus Sky, designed by the architectural firms Bjarke Ingels Group and Dialog, which promised to provide a new architectural landmark to Calgary's Downtown to be completed in 2017. The announcement included plans for a {{convert|750000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} mixed-use tower to incorporate office, retail and residential space. Of which there was to be 26 floors totaling {{convert|430000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of office space with Telus reserving {{convert|155000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}.{{cite news |author1=TELUS Corporation |author-link1=TELUS Corporation |title=TELUS building reaches for the Sky |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/telus-building-reaches-for-the-sky-512686001.html |access-date=July 7, 2020 |publisher=Newswire |date=July 4, 2013}} Calgary House would also host 341 residential units on the upper 32 floors and {{convert|15000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of retail space, mostly on the second floor connected to the city's Plus 15 pedway system. The design included LEED Platinum status and a number of sustainable design features including a storm water management system, and a {{convert|5500|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} public gallery.
The building was designed with a clean rectangular base and bottom floors for efficient open-office layouts, and as the building rises, the floor plates slowly reduce in size and pixilate creating small balconies and terraces.{{cite web |title=Telus Sky - Architecture |url=http://telussky.com/architecture/ |website=telussky.com |publisher=Telus Sky |access-date=July 7, 2020}}
Prior the construction of Telus Sky, the corner of 7 Avenue & Centre St SW was home to a three-storey building constructed in 1928 and hosted Art Central, a place where local artists could create and showcase their talent in small galleries and studios. The building was demolished in November 2014.{{cite news|last1=Toneguzzi|first1=Mario|title=Art Central building set fordemolition to make way for Telus Sky tower|url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/Central+building+demolition+make+Telus+tower/10403656/story.html|access-date=June 23, 2016|work=Calgary Herald|date=November 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804102007/http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Central+building+demolition+make+Telus+tower/10403656/story.html|archive-date=August 4, 2018|url-status=dead}}
Construction on Telus Sky started in February 2015.{{cite news|title=BIG's curvaceous Calgary skyscraper breaks ground next to Foster's Bow tower|url=http://www.dezeen.com/2015/02/16/big-telus-sky-tower-calgary-canada-skyscraper-breaks-ground/|access-date=June 23, 2016 |work=de zeen Magazine |date=February 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926172531/https://www.dezeen.com/2015/02/16/big-telus-sky-tower-calgary-canada-skyscraper-breaks-ground/|archive-date=September 26, 2019|url-status=live |last=Frearson |first=Amy}} Due to the small footprint of the site, there was not enough room for traditional excavators or ramps to facilitate digging the base, instead a hydraulic crane using a clam-shell bucket was used to excavate the {{convert|80000|m3|cuyd|abbr=on}} of dirt to a depth of up to {{convert|31|m|ft|abbr=on}} to create the base of the building.{{cite news |last1=McIntosh |first1=Emma |title=Calgary's deepest hole: five things to know |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgarys-deepest-hole-five-things-to-know |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=Calgary Herald |date=May 26, 2015}}
Construction of the Telus Sky continued past the original completion date of 2017, with delays causing construction to continue into 2019. The first commercial tenants were scheduled to move in July 2019 and the residential rental suites received bookings for September 2019.{{cite news |last1=Vander Pyl |first1=Gerald |title=Highly anticipated Telus Sky serves as symbol of hope for battered downtown office market |url=https://www.crebnow.com/highly-anticipated-telus-sky-serves-as-symbol-of-hope-for-battered-downtown-office-market/ |access-date=July 7, 2020 |publisher=Crebnow |date=May 10, 2019 |location=Calgary, AB}}{{Cite web |work=Financial Post |url=http://business.financialpost.com/news/property-post/construction-work-slows-in-calgary-as-recession-delays-office-tower-projects?__lsa=9186-0ed0 |title=Construction work slows in Calgary as recession delays office tower projects |last=Morgan |first=Geoffrey |date=August 25, 2016 |access-date=November 6, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506220028/https://business.financialpost.com/real-estate/property-post/construction-work-slows-in-calgary-as-recession-delays-office-tower-projects |archive-date=May 6, 2020}}
Public Art
Calgary House’s northern and southern facades are clad in a dynamic LED display dubbed "Northern Lights", designed by Canadian artist Douglas Coupland, which is one of the largest public art fixtures in Canada.
The LED light strips that make up the art piece are equipped with an infinite number of colour shades and combinations. The Northern Lights display will go through five 12-minute sequences per hour. With the starting sequence always being a mimic of the world famous aurora borealis, and the remaining four sequences to be interchangeable. The public art features an interactive smartphone app that will give users information about what inspired the current pattern at any given sequence, and will be online from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year.{{Cite web |url=https://www.canadianarchitect.com/architecture/douglas-coupland-create-calgarys-largest-public-artwork/1003740476/ |title=Douglas Coupland to create Calgary’s largest public artwork |date=November 27, 2017 |access-date=June 1, 2018 |work=Canadian Architect|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601205518/https://www.canadianarchitect.com/architecture/douglas-coupland-create-calgarys-largest-public-artwork/1003740476/|archive-date=June 1, 2018}} The Northern Lights display was first previewed on April 19, 2019.{{cite news |last1=White |first1=Ryan |title=Northern lights inspired sky-rise art display previewed in downtown Calgary |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/northern-lights-inspired-sky-rise-art-display-previewed-in-downtown-calgary-1.4387173 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=CTV News |date=April 19, 2019 |location=Calgary, AB}}
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Building details
The developers of Calgary House are striving to achieve LEED Platinum certification for the office, retail, and art spaces of the building, with the residential levels being targeted for LEED Gold. This will make Calgary House the most environmentally sustainable building in Canada over 200 meters in height.{{Cite web |url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/telus+announces+plans+storey+tower+downtown+calgary+with+video/8616228/story.html |title=Telus announces plans for 58-storey tower in downtown Calgary (with video) |date=July 4, 2013 |access-date=June 1, 2018 |work=Calgary Herald |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030183437/http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Telus+announces+plans+storey+tower+downtown+Calgary+with+video/8616228/story.html|archive-date=October 30, 2019 |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario}}
- Square footage of:
- The entire building: {{convert|761235|sqft|m2|0}}
- The office space: {{convert|421738|sqft|m2|0}} on 29 floors
- The residential space: {{convert|319,451|sqft|m2|0}} on floors 30-58
- The retail space: {{convert|21,046|sqft|m2|0}} located mainly on the ground level
- Total leased space: {{convert|129,525|sqft|m2|0}}
- Art space: {{convert|5,500|sqft|m2|0}}
- Number of storeys: 60
- Listing Agency: Colliers International
=Tenants=
Following the collapse in oil prices in 2015, the Calgary real-estate market began to suffer from growing vacant downtown office space, which Calgary House has not been immune. As of April 2020, Calgary House has an occupancy level of 60%, which is split among five commercial tenants, of which the Telus Corporation represents {{convert|140000|sqft|m2|0}} or 33% of the occupancy.{{cite news |title=Tech firm leases large space in downtown Calgary's Telus Sky office |url=https://www.westerninvestor.com/news/alberta/tech-firm-leases-large-space-in-downtown-calgary-s-telus-sky-office-1.24102715 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=Western Investor |date=April 3, 2020 |location=Calgary, AB}}
Tenants include:
Construction
File:Telus Sky May.jpg|May 2019
File:Telus Sky October.jpg|October 2018
File:Telus Sky May 2018.jpg|May 2018
File:Telus Sky March 2018 - 2.jpg|March 2018
File:Telus Sky Bow January.jpg|January 2018
File:Telus Sky September 2017.jpg|September 2017
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://telussky.com/ Telus Sky official website]
- {{CTBUH Skyscraper Center | id= 15466 | title= Telus Sky}}
- {{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1216443 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110222316/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1216443 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 10, 2020 |title=TELUS Sky |work=Emporis}}
{{Telus}}
{{Calgary landmarks}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Calgary
Category:Bjarke Ingels Group buildings
Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Calgary
Category:Twisted buildings and structures
Category:Residential skyscrapers in Canada