Eau Claire Plaza reopens with new public spaces

The revitalized Eau Claire Plaza, a signature public space in downtown Calgary, is now open.

The $47 million redesign is a key part of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy and will be a vibrant, all season public space for community gatherings, festivals and everyday connections. Honouring its past while looking ahead, the plaza offers a re-energized destination for Calgarians to gather, celebrate, and connect.

The City of Calgary engaged Dialog for the plaza’s revitalization, who led the project’s landscape architecture scope. Dialog coordinated with civil, structural, lighting, and cultural advisors to deliver a contemporary civic plaza rooted in place, memory, and public experience.

Located at the heart of Eau Claire, the updated plaza features flexible event space, a new misting water feature, and infrastructure to support year-round programming and events. The redesign is part of a broader effort to revitalize downtown and create a more livable and active city core.

“Eau Claire Plaza is a symbol of what’s possible when we invest in public spaces that put people first,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “It’s a gathering place where festivals, performances, and everyday moments come together, inviting Calgarians and visitors to share in the true spirit of our city. This project strengthens our downtown and connects everyone to the vibrant heart of Calgary.”

The new plaza serves as a transition from downtown to the natural area of the Riverwalk, and was designed as a place to gather, a place to reflect, a place to connect, and a place to explore.

Design highlights include:

• A civic canvas for gathering
  The restructured Podium Plaza creates space for festivals, performances, and passive use, framed by generous seating, flexible infrastructure, and wide circulation routes that support thousands of visitors throughout the year.
• Fog as feature, comfort, and play
  A custom misting water feature activates the plaza with theatrical fog, inviting interaction while offering shade and cooling. Inspired by best-in-class fog systems, the feature supports thermal comfort and transforms the space with changing light and weather.
• Everyday joy, year-round
  A bespoke Play Plaza, integrated Market Street, and a new urban beach offer layered experiences for all ages, drawing all Calgarians into the space, whether they’re commuting, playing, or pausing by the river.
• Heritage and reconciliation
  The plaza preserves and repositions the original Olympic monument and rings, honouring the site’s legacy while making space for new stories. Early and ongoing Indigenous engagement helped shape the design principles, ensuring space for cultural presence and future programming.
• Collaborative design
  From lighting to drainage, every element of the plaza was coordinated across disciplines to deliver a cohesive, buildable public realm that balances durability, comfort, and character.

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