razglednice jednog arhitekte: Glacier Skywalk

From the moment I saw Glacier Skywalk attraction on the internet I knew I want to visit it. I have been craving for experiencing some contemporary architecture that for some strange reason seems to be lacking in this part of the world. I wouldn’t know what is the reason for that, obviously the money is here, so is the knowledge and talent, and if there was a lack of talent, at least in today’s world that shouldn’t be a problem –bring an architect from different part of the world.

Let me talk you through my skywalking experience … It was a sunny day in Jasper, started with eggs benedict and just a little too buttery Hollandaise sauce. But the ambience was nice and the company even better, so there shouldn’t be room for any complains. It takes you one hour or about 95 kilometers to get from Jasper to Glacier Skywalk, even though it seemed to me like it was much longer. On our way we took a couple of stops to take some pictures and enjoy the scenery, and on a hot day there’s nothing better than experiencing a bit of a water splash from Athabasca river falls. Previous day there was a lot of rain so the water was white instead of emerald green and crystal clear, but that hardly stopped us from enjoying the view.

After driving a little while and spotting no bears or mountain goats whatsoever, we finally reached the Glacier Skywalk. It is located on highway 93, and after reaching it, you have to drive 6 more kilometers to reach the Glacier Icefield Centre, where you can purchase tickets for a few attractions. That day was super busy and standing in line for half an hour wasn’t the highlight of my day. After that you’re waiting for the first available bus to take you back to the Skywalk, and I found this process a little too “touristy”. As the pictures are saying the same thing was when we came to the actual spot. A bunch of tourists waving with selfie sticks is not the experience I had in my mind, but there’s no point in complaining. Possibilities to take the picture alone on the Skywalk are very poor, maybe in the winter time, on a non-busy day. I have to admit that I liked how they nested a concrete and rusty metal snakelike structure in the rocks, it complimented the landscape. By walking through you’re passing by a few stands where the guides can explain to you about the wild life of the Jasper national park or geological evolution of the Canadian Rockies… There’s also a small theatre made of wood where people can gather to hear lectures about the place, how it was built, who created it, etc. However, we missed the last lecture, so I couldn’t tell you much about it, however, here’s a link to ArchDaily article about the whole structure: http://www.archdaily.com/505500/glacier-skywalk-sturgess-architecture