Craig Henderson is getting the feeling that it’s hip to be square.

The principal behind Edmonton’s HIP Architects, and one-third of the design team behind the re-creation of Sir Winston Churchill Square, calls the project one of the most prestigious his firm has ever undertaken.

Yet despite some controversy surrounding the City of Edmonton’s $13-million centennial legacy project, Henderson has no regrets. “I’d think about it, but yes, I’d do it again,” he said.

The redevelopment of the downtown focal point, home to some of Edmonton’s top festivals every summer, reopened to the public this week by playing host to a day full of 100th birthday celebrations. Invited dignitaries included Lady Mary Soames, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill, on hand to rededicate the square.

Construction crews at work renewing Churchill Square.

The site, which in 1905 featured western wood-frame storefronts and strolling horse and buggies, is expected to become even more of a downtown hub in its newest configuration.

“It’s going to be a wonderful showpiece,” said event co- ordinator Chris McLeod of the Edmonton 2004 centennial committee. “If you look at Mexico City for example – they have the third-largest square in the world – theirs has evolved into a cultural centrepiece with artisans and performers. Every piece of their culture and society is on display. Hopefully our square develops into something like that, an icon that you visit as the first place you go in Edmonton and then return to, to get a feel of what the city is all about.”

Some members of the public have questioned whether spending the millions to refurbish the square was the right thing to do, McLeod said that “we looked at 80 projects initially and we whittled that down to Churchill Square. That was the only one that came forward to city council.”

Further, said McLeod, there was strong input from stakeholders and the business community, bolstered by public consultations that saw more than 7,000 people provide comments.

“It’s a true coming of age for Edmonton,” said Henderson.

What will make the square a success, he added, are the groups and the programmed events that will inject the life into the facility.

“It’s not so much the things that happen in the buildings around the square, it’s the outside things that go on. If you go to Europe, it’s the outside spaces (not the buildings) that provide the enrichment,” said Henderson.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime project, a wonderful project. It certainly has been challenging. The big thing was to keep the quality. As the trees mature and the space matures, it will come into its own. We’ve done our best to create the backdrop.”

The new Churchill Square transforms the former piece of land flanked by Edmonton City Hall, the Edmonton Art Gallery, the Francis Winspear Centre for the Arts, the main branch of the city’s public library and Edmonton City Centre shopping mall, into a vision that has been created out of the input of thousands of Edmontonians.

It now integrates the square, both visually and functionally, with its surrounding spaces. “Edmonton is extremely unique and extremely fortunate to have all those assets in that one area. It will be the glue that brings all the assets together,” said Henderson.

A natural amphitheatre, with seating for several hundred, allows individuals to sit and enjoy activities happening in the square, but as Henderson noted, the goal was to do more than just concentrate on the festivals that will use the space for a six-week period in the summer.

“My heart goes out to those festivals,” said Henderson. “They were shoved out of their home (because of construction) but next year they’re going to have this wonderful place for their events.”

Other features of the new Sir Winston Churchill Square, designed to make it more of a year-round facility, include:

* Fifty additional trees, more green spaces and more seating opportunities.

* Infrastructure, such as power and gas lines, is now underground, eliminating the wires that had to be put in place temporarily for various events.

* An interpretive centre, located on the southwest side of the square, mirrors the open and bright architecture of the adjacent city hall building. It will be home to travel and tourism information, a festival office, and Tix On The Square. A second level functions as both a viewing gallery of the square and as an interpretive space.

* The new South Public Pavilion is an open-air pavilion with a glass ceiling. Containing a stonework natural gas hearth and seating, in addition to a cafe, it’s designed to extend the functionality of the square into the colder seasons.

* A large waterfall, a key element of the new design, features an overhead bridge that connects the amphitheatre to the interpretive centre.

* Edmonton’s past, present and future is commemorated by numerous interpretive elements featured throughout the square, one of which is five Story Poles, each measuring 10 metres high and depicting a unique aspect of life in Edmonton.

Work is continuing on the cafe, which won’t open until the spring. The interpretive centre won’t be ready until the end of this year, leaving Tix On The Square in its neighbouring home for the moment. The Story Poles also remain to be finished.

Originally budgeted at $12.6 million, the city and the provincial government provided $4.2 million apiece, the federal government contributed $1 million, and $3.6 million has been raised from the corporate sector, families and individuals. The extra $400,000 has gone primarily into works of art and, to a lesser extent, additional public seating.

Stastny/Brun Architects and Carlyle and Associates round out the project’s design team, while PCL Construction is the primary contractor.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)