Mechanized River Valley Access | Edmonton
I spent an afternoon experimenting with composition and ended up photographing the Mechanized River Valley Access and platform. This is a project I wish I had taken when it was new — it’s now covered in garbage, graffiti, and bird poop on the glass around the elevator. I’m not trying to create hero shots here; I’m just capturing it as it is and focusing on composition.
I really enjoy the design elements on this project, specifically the wood accents on the platform and the angles they put on there. It’s like it was supposed to be a bridge but they just chopped it clean off and left the platform squared off.
It has such a unique design that it simultaneously feels both foreign and like it belongs there. A bit of a paradox.
Here is some information found online:
Design Firm: DIALOG (also referred to as Dialog Design or DIALOG Architects), a multidisciplinary Canadian firm responsible for architecture, landscape architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and urban design.
Client / Owner: City of Edmonton (part of the River Valley Alliance initiative).
General Contractor / Construction Manager: Graham Construction (operating as Graham Infrastructure LP), engaged under a Construction Management At-Risk model with a guaranteed maximum price.
Design and Planning Phase: Led by DIALOG starting around 2013–2015, with construction management input from Graham early in the detailed design stage.
Construction Start: March 2016.
Completion / Opening: December 2017 (some sources note final opening or public access extending into late 2017 or early 2018).
Project Budget: Approximately $21 million (publicly funded).
Key Collaborators: Included engineering firms such as Hatch (civil), Thurber Engineering (geotechnical), and others for specialized systems like the funicular and elevator.
