Wave & Zigzag Roofs Calgary (Part 2)

It’s was a brief architectural design trend starting in the latter half of the 1950s, peaking the next decade then quickly falling out of favour. Often applied to larger institutional or commercial buildings, wave or zigzag roofs could be structural (even if not always so applied) and allowed a large unbroken space inside. This was a real benefit in certain applications.

While costly to construct and maintain, that advantage at the time was seen as worth it I guess. And they were stylish! Well, for the time…even if most people today would see them as horribly dated. But they probably hate cars with tail-fins! Flat roofs, supported by internal trusses, are the norm today. Think plain, simple and cheap.

There’s fairly a good representation of the two styles in this post. A few of the buildings seen, while of the era, aren’t true to either form but still have a similar vibe so we’ve included them here. It seems Calgary Transit is gone retro, for example, and some of their newest shelters give a nod to the zigzag roofs of old. That these were put in fairly recently means they don’t really fit, but what the heck…caution to the wind! Finally, for some buildings the wave/zigzags are more a secondary decorative element than anything else.

Disclaimer: This was not a serious attempt at an inventory but still I think we got most in town. There’s no formal list so we had to wing it and with that said, we’ve likely missed some. No, we’re certain we have, so there will surely be a postscript edition to this series. I know our readers will fill us in too – chime in if you know something! Late breaking, like as we we’re writing this…word of a substation near downtown with a slightly modified zigzag roof. It’s too late to include here, but I guess that assures a follow up piece.

Now that we have Calgary covered, we’ve been searching buildings like this in other towns and have already documented a good number. Where as before we never really noticed them, doing this series (suggested by a reader) has us hypertensive and now we see them everywhere! Just what we need, another obsession!

Before you get too into this post, maybe take a look at the first chapter, here: Zigzag & Wave Roofs Calgary Part 1. Then, it’s on with the show…

1) A retail strip mall in Calgary’s Forest Lawn. Dating from 1965, the building’s zigzag (or saw-tooth) is only present on the street-side and the rest is otherwise flat-roofed for about four/fifths of its footprint. It’s a real stand-out though and with that sunset, it shot beautifully. The Four Seas Restaurant operated out here from day one to about 2010-ish (Mmmm, ginger beef).

A group is working to preserve the sign and we understand it’s looking a little more haggard since we photographed it last year for this article.

Look for the BIGDoer-mobile (the delusional econobox that thinks itself a star) to photobomb more than a few photos in this piece.

2) Alomar Building Products, found in a southeast industrial park, is housed in this structure. The city’s oddly silent on the build date (well, they say 2001, which is probably in reference to a rebuild) but we have determined it’s from circa 1963-1965. The zigzag element is incorporated into the front office with the rest of the roof flat. In the past, there was a much larger multi-story addition connected in the back, but it’s gone with the building much smaller today than it used to be.

3) The front office of this building (Manchester Industrial) displays an interesting reverse zigzag of sorts that’s flat on top. Okay, we’re pushing the concept – but just you wait as we’re not done! This one is from 1962.

4) At a cement firm in the Foothills Industrial Park, some very subtle zigzaggy elements. We debated even including it, but being built in 1963 makes it era-correct at least.

5) We saw lots of bunnies shooting this series, but most were camera shy. We’re at St Cecilia Catholic Church in Acadia built in 1968 and here they incorporated both styles into the building. The main body of the structure is circular and has waves that tapper towards the centre while forming a dome. The wings in comparison, and there used to be three spaced at nine, twelve and three o’clock, display zigzags. They added a decorative zigzag element (as an homage no doubt) on the 1980s addition connecting two of those wings.

6) Perhaps the most well know of all the places seen here, it the Big Four on the Stampede Grounds. Perhaps you’ve seen it? Dating from 1959, it’s a backdrop for the world famous Calgary Stampede, a yearly rip-roaring party dating back over a century, along with other events on the grounds. Except in 2020 that is and with the Covid pandemic in full swing then, everything was cancelled. Everything!

Getting up close required us getting official entry into the grounds and as it worked out, they allowed us to visit on what would have been sneak-a-peek night 2020. What a great coincidence.

Sneak-a-peek is the kick-off to the Stampede and any other year, at this spot on this date, the grounds would have been a sea of people. Yet, there we were, all alone (well almost, Mr Fab dropped by – see link below) and let me tell you what a strange feeling that was. It was a gamut of emotions, the whole cocktail shaken up with us standing there in awe and mouths ajar. We can’t help think this was a once in a lifetime experience.

While there we shot this piece: Calgary Stampede 2020: Cancelled! . BIZZARE!

The zigzags on the Big Four are only present from the the front and the building is otherwise flat-topped. Thanks to the Stampede for allowing us a look. They’re busy folks and our silly request was no doubt a nuisance, yet they were happy to accommodate us.

7) This is Killarney Pool not from BIGDoer world HQ (that gleaming gold tower behind Westbrook Mall) and it dates from somewhere between 1963-1965. For some reason the city has it listed as being built in 1900 (yeah) but using old aerial photos we’ve come up with something more accurate.

Wave roof – pool? Wave roof – pool? Now we get it!

Given it was peak Covid (how we’ve come to loath that word), there was on one about. Well, under the moon it was us and some guy tossing around ball and that’s it. That feeling of emptiness is an odd one.

8) This building appears in he first addition (here: Zigzag & Wave Roofs Calgary Part 1) and here was a setting for the some Stampede Fireworks. They cancelled the event but to keep spirits up continued with this tradition. How nice that the subject lined up!

9) A few years ago Calgary Transit instituted some new express-type routes (“Max” routes) and at many stops put in these stylized zigzag roof shelters. Date wise, they’re wrong for this piece, but in appearance fit right in, so we’ll include them. That weird kid (?) with the Chairman Mao haircut eating a burger is not creepy at all!

10) With zigzags now hidden behind a covering we’re looking at a former Safeway built in 1959. That the roof from above appear flat, suggests the profile in the front was only decorative. Located in Haysboro Plaza, present day the space is occupied by a fitness centre. This was one of those smaller neighbourhood Safeways and so simpler in design than the sweeping Marina Roof versions at more centralized locations. Those were iconic.

Those ornamental blocks are awesome!

11) This wavy-roofed place in Foothills Industrial dates from 1963 and was one of the first buildings in this neighbourhood. The attached structure in back is a newer addition.

12) More than a couple old-school schools in Calgary have this style of wave-shaped covering over the main walkway. They’re a minor detail but still we thought they were worth including. This is Henry Wise Wood High, built in 1961, off Elbow Drive.

13) The smallest seen, this little utility building once housed a substation and is from 1961. Given the roof area is quiet small, the zigzag form really wouldn’t be needed from a support standpoint, so it must have been for stylistic reasons instead. Located in Bowness, it was built when the community was still independent from Calgary (it’d be annexed soon after). Located right behind the CPR tracks, you can see a train passing in back (sorta). What good timing and even after capturing the photos, we had to watch the rest of it pass.

Thanks to David for pointing this one out. We’ve passed it a million times I’m sure but never noticed!

14) Parkdale United Church has been around since 1958 and while there’s a definite zigzaggy effect going on, it really doesn’t fit if we were to keep true to the concept. Still we like the building, so there. It’s our playground and NO ONE tells us what to do! Sorry, the morning coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. Notice all the solar panels up there.

15) The next two entries were found in Manchester Industrial (these buildings tend to cluster we’ve found). Home to A1 Autobody, it’s from 1965 (great year – just sayin’…) and looks in fantastic shape. Those graceful waves! I mean if our car is ever in a fender-bender, we’d send it here just because of the that cool roof!

16) Also from 1965, it’s another wave-building a few blocks away that houses Terminal City Iron Works. The company’s been around over a century and for one supplies fire hydrants to municipalities.

We suspect some of the buildings seen here have roofs of cast concrete, but research has yet has confirm that. There’s is no wave/zigzag roof entry for Wikipedia as it turns out. The rest, we suspect are simple wood or metal forms with sheathing but how every constructed, it makes them more complex than typical.

With these few final sentences, we close out this post. We think we’re done with Calgary when it comes to buildings like this (the odd straggler excepted) but we’re already planning new frontiers. Edmonton, we’re looking at you! The deeper we delve into these quirky mid-century designs, the more we like them and need fresh meat. Then there’s all those small towns and other cities. Then the world!

Let’s do this again…

Know more about one building seen in this post: Big Four Building Calgary.

They’re saying…

”Always amazed to see what these two manage to find out about in the history of Alberta” Candy Belliveau (we do BC and SK too!).

In case you missed the link earlier: Zigzag & Wave Roofs Calgary Part 1.

You’ll like…
Wolseley Places Part One, Wolseley Places Part Two and Wolseley Places Part Three – A small SK town that stole our hearts!
YEGPIN 2018 At the temple!
Rothney Astrophysical Observatory To the stars!

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: contact us!

Date of Adventure: May 2020 – June 2021.
Location: All over Calgary, AB.
Article references and thanks: City of Calgary Land Records, Calgary Stampede, Old phone books @ Calgary Public Library and the Medicine Hat & District Genealogical Society.

1) Wave & Zigzag Roofs Part 2!

1) The 4 Seas is gone but the sign remains.

1) A fine sunset in Forest Lawn.

2) Well suited for industrial buildings.

3) Reverse zigzags?

4) Perhaps too different?

5) Waves & zigzags + another bunny.

5) St Cecilia Church.

5) We’re in the community of Acadia.

5) Zigzags on this ’80s addition pay homage.

6) The Big Four at the Stampede.

6) All quiet on sneak-a-peek night 2020.

7) Killarney Pool not far from HQ.

7) The BIGDoer-mobile photobombed a few pics.

7) Around the corner.

8) Seen in part 1, but this time with fireworks!

9) Wait, what’s this?

9) In spirit…

10) Look for them…

11) Another Industrial Park find.

12) These waves are seen at a few Calgary schools.

13) The smallest one.

14) Not sure this one qualifies but we liked it anyway.

15) A1 Autobody.

15) The wave is graceful.

16) And finally it’s Terminal City Iron Works.