Magical. Breath-taking. Unforgettable. Perched high above the Sunwapta Canyon in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Glacier Skywalk is all of these things—and more. Its choreographed pathways and cantilevered viewing platform allow visitors to see and experience the world in a whole new way.

Glacier Skywalk tells the inside story of this award-winning collaboration between Parks Canada, Brewster Travel and the combined design-and-build team of Sturgess Architecture, PCL Constructors and RJC Consulting Engineers. Insightful essays by Trevor Boddy and Clea and Jeremy Sturgess reveal how the ideas came together and were realized in built form. Detailed sketches, three-dimensional renderings and stunning photographs by Robert Lemermeyer show how the structures evolved from start to finish. From the larch wood kiosk that welcomes visitors just off the Icefields Parkway, through the rock-lined walls, the glass floors and railings and the jagged steel forms that emulate mountains and glaciers, Glacier Skywalk reflects and highlights its surrounding environment. Whether or not you have stood suspended over the canyon—floating exposed to the elements, moving gently with the wind and visitors’ footfalls, Glacier Skywalk captures the brilliance of the design and the magic of the experience. It is a book to treasure for years to come.

Clea Sturgess' profile page

Trevor Boddy's profile page

Jeremy Sturgess' profile page

Clea Sturgess has been a writer and editor of architectural texts for the past twelve years. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, where she is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Victoria.

Edmonton-born Trevor Boddy is a critic of contemporary architecture and a consulting urban designer. His writing on buildings and cities has been awarded the Alberta Book of the Year Prize, the Western Magazine Award, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Advocacy Award, fellowship in New York’s Institute of Urban Design, and an honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects. At the 2011 World Architecture Congress in Tokyo, Boddy’s essay (for A/V in Madrid) entitled “MEGA + MICRO: Canada, Innovation at the Extremes” received commendation for the UIA/CICA’s Pierre Vago Prize for best architectural criticism published worldwide. As a curator, Boddy produced the Vancouverism: Architecture Builds the City exhibition plus linked Trafalgar Square demonstration construction (named marquee event for the 2008 London Festival of Architecture), which was remounted in 2009 in Paris, and then in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Previously, Boddy taught architecture and urban design at the University of British Columbia, University of Manitoba, University of Oregon, University of Toronto and Carleton University. He is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and currently serves as a studio critic and lecturer worldwide. www.trevorboddy.ca.

Jeremy Sturgess creates architecture that responds to its site and is responsible to an overarching philosophy of urban design. With every work, he attempts to instill an aspect of community, to foster interaction between people in a manner that will enrich and influence their experience together. Whether in the city or in the natural environment, he endeavours to create work that enhances the place and enlightens the spirit. He has been recognized locally, nationally and internationally for his work, and is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in recognition of the artistic quality of his work. He lives in Calgary, Alberta.