Calgary’s Newly Revitalized Eau Claire Plaza Has an Urban Beach, Green Spaces and More

by Viancy Salubre

A rendering of a huge plaza filled with trees and people. There is a beach and river in the background. — Photo rendering courtesy of Dialog.

Calgarians have a vibrant new space to gather in by the Bow River.

The newly reimagined Eau Claire Plaza is a year-round mixed-use community space near the Bow River in downtown Calgary, and is the final part of the four-year Eau Claire Area Improvements project.

Designed by Calgary-based architecture firm Dialog, the 11,250-square-foot plaza features new green spaces, an urban beach, a water misting feature and more. The project took two months of construction to complete following the demolition of Eau Claire Market at the former plaza site in early 2025.

Here’s what you should know about the new Eau Claire Plaza

A rendering of a green space filled with trees and people hanging out on the grass. — Photo rendering courtesy of Dialog.

The new plaza has cool features like an urban beach, picnic areas and more.

Eau Claire Plaza has several new amenities and recreational areas. The plaza has a central green space with shading and picnic areas, as well as an urban beach complete with sand, lounge chairs and umbrellas. Guests can also expect a recreational area for children called the Play Plaza, which is currently under construction and slated to open in fall 2025.

Eau Claire Plaza’s former wading pools have been replaced with a new water misting feature built into the ground. The underground water sprayers will serve as cooling features and water recreation during the summer and will be replaced with lit-up bollards for safety during the winter time.

A rendering of a plaza filled with large orange trees, people and various seating arrangements in the fall. — Photo rendering courtesy of Dialog.

The plaza is a year-round event space

Eau Claire Plaza is now home to the Podium Plaza, a multi-purpose outdoor event space with the capacity to host a variety of festivals, concerts and markets year-round. Crowds upwards of 4,000 people can be accommodated in the area with various seating arrangements and adaptable structures for different events. The space also features a raised podium for stage performances and integrated event infrastructure like entertainment columns with lighting setups and troughs for wiring.

A rendering of a plaza with street lamps, a pathway and people attending a concert in the winter. — Photo rendering courtesy of Dialog.

The space pays homage to the area’s history

Market Street is the newly constructed walkway at the northeast end of the plaza. The walkway features the refurbished Olympic Arch monument, which was originally built for Eau Claire Plaza for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Market Street also features the restored Eau Claire & Bow River Lumber Company building, a sawmill that was built in the area in the early 1900s. The sawmill now serves as space for an artist and residency program.

3 Street and Riverfront Avenue S.W.

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