Its most striking features are the four stone lions that guard its approaches. These lions were created by James Thompson, a city worker who was formerly a Scottish mason. They were designed to match the lions at the base of the Admiral Nelson monument at Trafalgar Square in London. But instead of being made of brass like their counterparts in England, the ones in Calgary are concrete. They rest on top of concrete kiosks each containing an image of the English rose, an Irish shamrock, the Scottish thistle, and of course the Canadian maple leaf.
Every city needs at least one skyscraper that epitomizes the glass, steel, and stone equation.
This is one of Calgary's finest, clad in granite and reflective glass, the 53-story tower is a reminder that this city isn't come backwater to be ignored. Sixth Avenue Southwest, downtown Calgary, Alberta , Canada . Calgary's premier sports arena is home to hockey games, the Calgary Exhibition, and the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. This last event is important because it was the Olympic Games that helped shape the building. It had to be built to accommodate international-sized competition surfaces.