Central Memorial Park
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Central Memorial Park is Calgary’s oldest park and is a Designated Heritage Site and a Provincial Historic Resource. The Federal Government first set aside the land for the Park in 1899 and by 1912, the Park was a civic showplace. Originally designed by Calgary’s First Superintendent of Parks, William Reader, as an Edwardian
garden – the Park features the cenotaph plaza, flagpole, commemorative monuments, pathways, and the 1912 Carnegie Library (Memorial Public Library).
The existing lighting in the park – metal halide pedestrian pole mounted for the walkways and blue-white metal halide flood lighting of the cenotaph – were not appropriate for the heritage site and did not provide sufficient illumination for security. The Heritage, pole mounted luminaires had been removed in a previous renovation of the park.
The flora native to the park includes thick, dense evergreens providing a difficult lighting environment, but one with a canvas for light.
Neutral-white metal halide, directional luminaires are used to highlight the memorials within the park. This distinguishable, white light is tightly controlled and layered to create focal points of interest to emphasize the significance of the park and provide three-dimensional rendering of the monuments.
Feature trees are illuminated with color changing LED fixtures to create a sense of activity and movement within in the park. The dense blue spruce, along the pathways, are rendered less foreboding by integrating path lighting for walkway distinction and facial recognition.
The LDI team selected the lighting features that were the most important elements of Central Memorial Park. The highlighted memorials focus attention on the bravery of our citizens at critical historical times, and dynamic lighting helps attract visitors.
The multifaceted approach to highlighting memorials, created a sense of activity, and made the park a visitor destination and experience.
The park also contains the first public library in Calgary – and in all of Alberta. Designed by McLean and Wright in Boston, and financed by the American philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie and The City of Calgary, the Memorial Public Library, opened in 1912, was considered the main branch and headquarters of the public library system until 1963.
The architecture of the building, viewed in daylight, has prominent design elements for highlight at night. These design elements are: the finial above the main entry, the main entry door, the window lattice, and the historic, replica post-top luminaires flanking the stair.
The intricate details of the cornice and window lattice embellish the stone façade.
Physical constraints of the historic structure were considered for locating and mounting luminaires. Penetrations for power and control wiring for the luminaires were approved during the design stage by Heritage representatives.
Central Memorial Park, its structures, and memorials, are a Heritage treasure in the City of Calgary. By lighting the park, the enjoyment of the space is extended into the nighttime hours and enriches the heritage tourism of the region.
