Lots in limbo: Heritage group pushes to preserve Edmonton’s architecture
Edmonton is rife with mid-century modern buildings that are under threat of becoming history, argues a local heritage group, so they say it's now time to save them from bulldozers.
“A handful have already been knocked down or renovated significantly,” said Alex Abboud, chair of the Edmonton Heritage Council.
“Unfortunately, what Edmonton hasn't done well is preserving significant buildings, so we run the risk of waking up 20 years from now and feeling the same way we did when we lost buildings from the first decades of the 20th century.”
Mid-century modern buildings, described as clean and simple, were built during the 1940s to the ‘70s, a time when Edmonton was growing exponentially. This means the city has lots of them, and they include the old Royal Alberta Museum, the CN Tower downtown, the annex on the legislature grounds, the Paramount Theatre on Jasper Ave, and the old Planetarium, among many others.
“We see these buildings as an important part of capturing Edmonton’s history and sharing its story when it grew up to be a big city and represent economic activity,” Abboud said.
