As the first major element to be constructed in this revitalization, Jubilee Plaza is an important indicator of change, signaling a new identity for an active, urban Fort McMurray. One of the main challenges is how to anchor a thriving venue for public life in this previously transient community and how to offer a point of gravity for the city as it goes through its remarkable transformation. The proposed plaza accepts this dynamic quality as a virtue and will be changing and adaptable, while simultaneously engaging and relating to its context.

The raised plaza can accommodate a diverse and flexible itinerary of events throughout the year and offers a nearly endless array of spatial conditions to support memorable activities. From busy farmers markets to weekday morning rituals, long summer days to cold winter nights, the flexible yet robust plaza can host anything Fort McMurray has in mind for it.

With its iconic moveable wood platform, the square can create distinct relationships with surrounding street fronts and invite new programs and uses that can be reconfigured on a seasonal basis. The platform can be positioned at different points in the plaza to track the sun, to find shelter from the wind, to gain the perfect spot to perform a concert, or to get the best view of the Northern Lights. It is both a place to inhabit and a stage for events to unfold. No two visits to Jubilee Plaza will be alike.

The plaza’s materials, lighting, and primary elements each contribute to creating ephemeral intrigue with a particular emphasis on the delights of the north and its unique light, weather, and planting to build a new culture of outdoor public life in the City Centre.