Rothney Astrophysical Observatory — construction of telescope dome, 1971.
Built History of the ɫ, Archives and Special Collection
Feb. 19, 2019
Website launched by Archives and Special Collections traces UCalgary's built history
Track the beginnings of the university right up to the most recent technologically advanced facilities
Try matching the following descriptions to buildings on campus:
- “Kleenex boxes”
- “An octopus with tentacles coming down the corners”
- “The turtle”
- “A social, cultural, and governmental centre”
If you’ve ever wondered how ɫ buildings are named, why early buildings seem vaguely “pink,” and where the university’s research stations are geographically located, you will find the answers on a new website, . Newly launched by , the site incorporates historical and contemporary photographs, archival documents, and building descriptions to guide viewers through the rich history of infrastructure on ɫ various campuses. The site provides geospatial locations, quick facts, building histories and stories as well as visuals of 70 of the university’s buildings.
“The ɫ’s built environment frames and influences the academic, research, and social lives of all members of the campus community,” says archivist Karen Buckley, project co-lead. “For the wider Calgary community, the campus and its buildings provide a physical presence and visual reminder of the sense of learning, excitement, and opportunity that is at the core of a university’s identity.”
Scurfield Hall under construction, 1985.
Built History of the ɫ, Archives and Special Collections.
“We sought to evoke a sense of place with this website, one that viewers could fit into their own experiences with the ɫ’s physical spaces,” adds archivist Lisa Atkinson, project co-lead.
The site includes the first structures to house the beginnings of a university in Calgary (McDougall School, Heritage Hall), buildings on the main campus, Foothills Campus, Spy Hill campus, and the Bamfield, Kluane Lake, and R.B. Miller research stations.
Searches may be conducted using the timeline feature or by finding specific buildings in an alphabetical list. Digitized records focus on the planning and development of campus and its buildings, including vision statements, conceptual designs, artists’ renderings, photographs, official openings and news releases. The “unbuilt” history of campus is also included: buildings wished for but never realized.
Support for Built History of the ɫ was provided by the . The foundation’s Heritage Preservation Partnership Program provides matching grants and scholarship funds to support initiatives that preserve and interpret Alberta's heritage.