Calgary goes phallic

EnCana Corp., North America's largest natural gas company, plans on building Western Canada's tallest skyscraper in downtown Calgary. The 59-story building will be "a landmark that defines Calgary" effused Mayor David Bronconnier. He is no doubt right. It will certainly overwhelm everything else in the city.

No fan of the bigger is better syndrome that obsesses North America, and is positively epidemic among architects, I admit to being underwhelmed. Bah. Humbug.

Hell, I think Calgary is big enough now. I can't think of a single reason why we need more people, more traffic, more pollution, more consumption, more whatever. I would prefer to concentrate on the better.

Imperial Oil has announced plans to follow Encana with a monolith of its own -- a case of tower envy?