Calgary’s wind-scooping crescent—an office tower that bends like it’s bracing for prairie weather.
1,700,000 sq ft office building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Featured in Foster + Partners's definitive monograph, Norman Foster: A Life in Architecture.
Visitor Guide
Enter the +15 level to see public art and the city’s indoor pedestrian network; don’t waste time trying to sneak upstairs—security is real.
From the plaza at 6 Avenue & Centre Street, late afternoon for the curved facade in raking light; for skyline, shoot from Crescent Heights at sunrise.
Public access is generally limited to ground and +15 concourse; upper floors/‘viewing’ areas typically require tenant access.
The curve isn’t just aesthetics—it reduces wind loads and creates a large, sheltered atrium-like ‘belly’ inside.
30–60 min
Design & Structure
Designed with performance-driven form: curved plan for structural efficiency and wind response; digital wind/structural simulation and BIM coordination for the megaframe and curtain wall.
Steel megastructure + high-performance glass; materiality is about transparency and long-span openness inside.
Mega-braced system and curved geometry work together to resist lateral loads—engineering as climate adaptation.
More by Foster + Partners
View all →
Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
British Library of Political and Economic Science
Dresden Hauptbahnhof
Beijing Capital International Airport
Willis Building, Ipswich
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Nearby in Alberta
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed The Bow (skyscraper)?+
The Bow (skyscraper) was designed by Foster + Partners and completed in 2012. It is located in Alberta, Canada.
Where is The Bow (skyscraper) located?+
The Bow (skyscraper) is located in Alberta, Canada. Its coordinates are 51.0478°, -114.0622°.
When was The Bow (skyscraper) built?+
The Bow (skyscraper) was completed in 2012. It was designed by Foster + Partners.
Can I visit The Bow (skyscraper)?+
The Bow (skyscraper) is a real building in Alberta that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.