East End

I would not have guessed that one of my favourite art pieces in East End would be a building. Buildings are not usually considered art, and I feel that is what makes this building so intriguing. Many buildings in Calgary are built with functionality in mind, and it often feels as if the developers go down a checklist. Tall? Check. Lots of windows? Check. Mountain view? Check. While a checklist can work for a lot of buildings, I think more buildings could be improved by moving towards constructing buildings in an innovative, creative way - as with the Central library.

Downtown has a lot more art than I originally thought, but I know I have seen at least a quarter of the public art before and just did not take it in. Surely, I am not the only one. In general, I feel we do not perceive what is not directly in front of us. Since art is usually off to the side of the path, we just walk by without stopping to look at it. Our Jane’s Walk purposefully took us off the path to pause and look at the art which may have been missed. As well, our Jane’s Walk helped us to look at our environment differently and reframe what can be considered art. While some may not consider a building to be a piece of art, the Central Library is certainly masterful in its design and beauty.