CMLC breaks ground on public washroom and community amenity in East Village

The new space, designed by Public City Architecture, is set to feature four universally accessible bathroom stalls, a shared handwashing space, and a pickleball court.

By Canadian Architect

Rendering: CMLC
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, as steward of the East Village Master Plan, has broken ground and revealed the designs for East Village‘s latest public amenity—a permanent public washroom and pickleball court, designed by Public City Architecture. The facilities are located adjacent to the playground, community garden, and off-leash dog park at Crossroads, near the intersection of 7th Avenue and 6th Street SE.
CMLC began a public washroom design competition in August 2022 to seek out an innovative design concept that would fulfil the need for important social infrastructure and the community’s user and safety requirements that also aligned with the character of East Village.

Conceptual rendering of the fenced-in outdoor pickleball court at the East Village Washroom.

A total of 11 submissions were received from design teams across Canada, and after deliberation by a jury of architects, designers, and community advocates, Public City Architecture from Winnipeg was chosen for its imaginative and architecturally unique approach.

The 3,000-square-foot facility features four universally accessible bathroom stalls; one of which is wheelchair accessible with grab bars, a shared handwashing space, and a hand drying station, as well as a fenced-in outdoor pickleball court. The facility also features a tiered spectator seating area and a living green roof with natural grasses.

Conceptual rendering of the new East Village washroom which features four universally accessible bathroom stalls, a shared handwashing space and hand drying station.

“We are excited to introduce a new concept that blends the community need for a permanent public washroom with a sought-after sports amenity to East Village,” said Clare LePan, CMLC’s vice president of communications and strategic partnerships. “With more than 4,000 people who call East Village home and 80,000 visitors to our community annually, finding the right solution for a safe, accessible, and inclusive permanent public washroom has been paramount. The collaboration with Public City resulted not only in a functional facility but also a valuable community asset.”

Public City has more than 15 years of expertise in crafting public spaces, including the rooftop public park and event space at High Park in the Beltline and the versatile multi-use recreational space and parking lot PARK PARK in Inglewood.

“When designing the new structure, we took inspiration from the liveliness and inclusiveness synonymous with East Village. Pairing a public washroom with the rapidly expanding sport of pickleball was a unique challenge, but one we knew would add more pop to this vibrant, liveable urban neighbourhood,” said Peter Sampson, principal and founding director of Public City. “The role of public spaces has evolved significantly over the years. They now serve as more than just facilities for washroom use or sports but have become gathering places where people can actively engage or simply take a break to observe.”

The new washrooms will replace the current washrooms that were installed along RiverWalk in 2012. 

The washrooms and pickleball court will be open seven days a week, year-round with CMLC managing the ongoing maintenance, security and programming of the space.

Construction on the new public washrooms will be managed by Delnor Construction, and the grand opening is set for the fall of 2024.

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