
Brent Bellamy
Columnist
Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.
Recent articles by Brent Bellamy
Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, May. 23, 2023Portage and Main has to be people-friendly
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 1, 2023Winter shouldn’t translate to a lower quality of life
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 10, 2023New life breathed into Carnegie Library
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 20, 2023Walkable cities become grist for conspiracy mill
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023Reclaiming the spirit of the shopping mall
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 6, 2023Arts can lead in downtown renewal
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 16, 2023A chance to reimagine road safety
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 19, 2022Board impairs civic decision-making
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 28, 2022Gaboury favoured organic, regionalist style
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 7, 2022A new mayor and council need visionary city-building policies to fix Winnipeg's challenges
12 minute read Preview Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022Blank walls diminish pedestrian experience
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 12, 2022The time is right for LRT transition
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 22, 2022Moving forward requires looking back
5 minute read Preview Sunday, Jul. 24, 2022Bold thinking created affordable housing
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 13, 2022More city than we can pay for
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 16, 2022EVs not a ‘silver bullet’ solution
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 25, 2022Selkirk a model of progressive planning
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 28, 2022Ukrainian influences are everywhere
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 7, 2022Old buildings unite neighbourhoods
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 7, 2022Bold steps to redefine downtown
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 17, 2022Perfect storm of construction disruption
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 27, 2021A chance to redefine transportation
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 29, 2021Designing pedestrian promenade
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 8, 2021Car co-op a progressive success story
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021Lifestyle expectations influence housing
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 20, 2021An opportunity to re-imagine downtown
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021Design must account for climate change
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 12, 2021Reimagining Wellington Crescent
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 21, 2021Alberta cities excel in urban change
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 31, 2021Infill guidelines offer prudent way forward
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 3, 2021Research supports reduced-speed initiative
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 12, 2021Transit plan should spark rapid change
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 15, 2021‘Abilities Village’ plan filled with possibility
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 22, 2021Parking minimums stifle development
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 25, 2021‘For lease’ signs abound downtown
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 4, 2021Bay part of city’s DNA forever
10 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 7, 2020City faces limits on sewage
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020Transit hub could transform downtown
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 26, 2020Collective response is the best strategy
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 5, 2020Building design needs breath of fresh air
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Sep. 8, 2020Impact-fee decision presents opportunity
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 17, 2020Manitoba’s a great place to ‘staycation’
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 27, 2020Housing key to deracializing cities
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 6, 2020Pandemic shows need for affordable housing
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 8, 2020Pandemic presents obligation to change our world
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, May. 19, 2020Crises helped shape modern architecture
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 27, 2020Rethinking infrastructure after the pandemic
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 6, 2020Shoebox apartments part of city’s heritage
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 10, 2020Our decisions today create our children’s cities tomorrow
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 20, 2020Architecture central to Christmas story
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 23, 2019Zoning affects a city’s social fabric
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 2, 2019City’s expanding footprint has high cost
5 minute read Preview Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019Shared streets create vibrancy
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 21, 2019Narrowing sidewalk a step backward for pedestrian access
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 30, 2019Mennonite history lives on
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 19, 2019New possibilities for Portage Place
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 29, 2019Slower speeds make safer neighbourhoods
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 8, 2019Mansion protest tests limits of infill goal
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 17, 2019Transcona a model for the future
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 13, 2019When old meets new
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 15, 2019Mature trees worth saving, not just replacing
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 25, 2019Heritage designations are not something to fear
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 4, 2019Winnipeg needs infill-strategy road map
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 4, 2019Winter cycling isn’t extreme
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 14, 2019Urban lifestyle keeps young people here
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 24, 2018To grow, Winnipeg needs to think big
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 3, 2018Investing in pedestrian movement pays off
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 27, 2018Shedding light on Portage and Main
5 minute read Preview Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018Cities recognize basic sanitation is a right
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 16, 2018Time to think different about transit
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 25, 2018Pedestrian bridges a welcome direction
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 4, 2018Sweeping new plaza designed to engage
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 7, 2018Kapyong a unique opportunity to innovate
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 23, 2018Kenaston pitch deserves a rethink
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Apr. 3, 2018Parkade plan shows forward thinking
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 12, 2018Walking key to complete community
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 12, 2018City should consider streetcar revival
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 22, 2018National housing strategy a way to change face of neighbourhoods
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 4, 2017Climate revenues could transform transportation
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017Time to love Portage and Main
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 23, 2017City can learn from Amazon search
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 2, 2017Imagination could give Arlington Bridge new life
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Sep. 5, 2017Project shows diagonal parking works
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 14, 2017Strong fire-safety measures critical
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 24, 2017Heritage builds opportunity downtown
7 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 3, 2017Boosting Winterpeg’s ‘destination’ status
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, May. 16, 2017Globalization means opportunity
4 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 24, 2017Time for feds to help preserve heritage buildings
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 3, 2017Downtown must embrace winter, not hide from it
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 13, 2017Examining five pillars of a big-picture plan
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017Give Union Bank Tower the crown
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 30, 2017Downtown growth didn’t happen overnight
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 9, 2017Developing a road map for growth
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 12, 2016Road safety by design
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 21, 2016Designing the perfect winter city
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 31, 2016Pilot projects going permanent
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016Makes no sense to dismiss rail relocation, riverwalk protection without knowing costs, benefits
6 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 19, 2016City's thirst for growth fees ignores their power as a planning tool
6 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 29, 2016Uniting nations: A look at the design submissions to replace the iconic Peace Tower
13 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 8, 2016Lane it on the line
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 18, 2016Cyclist safety in numbers, not helmets
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 27, 2016Park upgrades raise the bar
6 minute read Preview Monday, May. 9, 2016City issues neglected in election
6 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 18, 2016Two-ways to revitalize downtown
6 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 28, 2016Sprawl fees ease growing pains
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 7, 2016Pedestrian traffic at Portage & Main would invigorate all of Winnipeg
8 minute read Preview Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016Building a better neighbourhood
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 25, 2016Winnipeg’s skyline looking up
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 4, 2016Building a better city
6 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 14, 2015The past must be part of the future
6 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 23, 2015Winnipeg's urban forest could be one of the city's most valuable assets
6 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 2, 2015Consider parties’ stand on municipal issues when you vote
6 minute read Preview Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015Rail relocation should be on radar
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 21, 2015From parking lot to urban paradise
6 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 31, 2015Prairie icons in danger of extinction
6 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 10, 2015Empowerment on wheels: It’s time to support lifestyle choices of all
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 13, 2015Libraries still the focal point of neighbourhoods
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 6, 2015Even if requirements have been met by developers, local opposition can scuttle plans
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 15, 2015Plan would redefine downtown
6 minute read Preview Monday, May. 25, 2015Bigger roads mean more traffic
6 minute read Preview Monday, May. 4, 2015The sneaky parking-lot plot
6 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 13, 2015IN the past decade, downtown has experienced development and renewal. To keep up with increasing electrical demand and serve this growth, Manitoba Hydro will soon begin construction on a new $62-million substation downtown.
It will be located on a large parking lot at the corner of Adelaide Street and Notre Dame Avenue, previously owned by nearby Calvary Temple. As part of the transaction to secure the property, Hydro agreed to replace the church parking by co-ordinating the purchase of an adjacent 40-stall lot with the intent of demolishing four commercial buildings along Notre Dame to make room for another 35 cars. An application to the city for a demolition permit has not yet been submitted, but intentions to do so have been made public.
An important obstacle facing this scheme is that demolition to create surface parking as a primary use on a downtown property is no longer permitted. Building demolition is only allowed with proof that an appropriate redevelopment plan is forthcoming.
Wood expands possibilities
6 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 23, 2015Beyond big-box: Transition away from mega-stores bodes well for urban landscape
6 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 2, 2015Racial peace through architecture
6 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 9, 2015From why Winterpeg to why not?
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 19, 2015Energy efficiency not cheap
6 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 29, 2014Campuses return to core
6 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 1, 2014A new urban agenda
6 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 10, 2014How to fall in love with our city
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014CMHR’s future is up to us all
6 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 15, 2014Many of city’s well-known buildings designed by New York architects
7 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 25, 2014Grand vision for Union Station
6 minute read Preview Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014More than the museum
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 14, 2014Let’s make River City a reality
6 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 23, 2014Winnipeg: City of architectural delights
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 26, 2014Diversity is a place called home
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 12, 2014How to fill potholes
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 21, 2014WAG’s neighbour from the North
6 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 10, 2014Leadership makes wheels turn
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014Embracing density
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 27, 2014Prime plan for a pumphouse
6 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 16, 2013Window to the past, and future
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 25, 2013Think like big-city neighbours
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 4, 2013Downtown development will exemplify quality design
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013Striving for a people-friendly core
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 23, 2013Let Portage and Main breathe
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Sep. 3, 2013Let’s have designs on our city
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 12, 2013Long-term planning crucial
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 22, 2013Downtown’s parking facilities tell story of city’s development
8 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 10, 2013Cultural transformation
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, May. 21, 2013A vibrant vision for Chinatown
6 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 29, 2013Exit of core grocer an opportunity
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 8, 2013There is still hope for Portage Place
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 18, 2013PSB, St. B cop shop examples of polarizing architecture
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 25, 2013Landscape of professionalism
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 4, 2013Kapyong Barracks site can become an inspired, modern neighbourhood
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 14, 2013Santa’s home can be a castle
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 24, 2012It’s our Winnipeg, for art’s sake
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 3, 2012What’s rotten in Denmark?
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 12, 2012Putting a little green up above
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 22, 2012Copenhagen shows bicycles can improve cities and their citizens
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 1, 2012WAG the arts scene
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 10, 2012Rail yard redevelopment would bring density, investment and revenue
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 20, 2012Rush to raze leaves lingering holes
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 30, 2012Pumping-station conundrum
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 9, 2012Local buildings display green benefits
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 18, 2012Make residential splash at Forks
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 28, 2012A fort reborn
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 16, 2012Rapid transit slowly arrives
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 26, 2012New buildings contain promise
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 5, 2012Shopping for Bay redevelopment
5 minute read Preview Monday, Feb. 13, 2012Shoppers’ plan has potential
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 23, 2012Inspiration comes with a cost
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 2, 2012‘Ghost signs’ evoke city’s past
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 12, 2011Talk to the neighbours first
4 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 21, 2011Old terminal a Modernist gem
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 31, 2011The Jets — and a big-league stadium, too
5 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 10, 2011Thriving time for city architecture
5 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 19, 2011Modern flair lifts historic park
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 29, 2011Finding Winnipeg’s hidden jewels
5 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 8, 2011Megaprojects alone not enough
4 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 18, 2011New science centre a work of art
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 27, 2011Eaton’s Building leaves long legacy
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 6, 2011In 1902, 3,000 jubilant supporters packed into the Main Street Auditorium to watch the Winnipeg Victorias come from behind to beat the Toronto Wellingtons 5-3, clinching their third and final Stanley Cup championship.
Two years later, that flourishing young metropolis would further cement its reputation as one of Canada's big league cities as the dramatic Eaton's Building began to rise along Portage Avenue. The tenth largest department store in the world, it was estimated in 1960 that 50 cents out of every shopping dollar spent in Winnipeg happened at "the big store." With a floor area nearly double that of the 30-storey Richardson Building, its scale and presence made her a Portage Avenue icon and one of Canada's most significant buildings of the early 20th century.
When Eaton's fell into bankruptcy in the late 1990s, the store closed and public debate raged over the future of a building that was cherished by generations of Winnipeggers. In 2002, with public opposition, the decision was made to demolish the structure and replace it with a new 15,000-seat arena, then called the True North Centre.
The significance of that decision would not be fully understood until last Tuesday when the city watched an emotional Mark Chipman proudly announce the return of NHL hockey to Winnipeg.
Development needs managing
5 minute read Preview Monday, May. 16, 2011Urban issues UNDER THE RADAR
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 25, 2011Good designs, good neighbours
5 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 4, 2011A new purpose for old buildings
5 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 14, 2011You gotta love it: Winnipeg brims with tradition, history
3 minute read Preview Sunday, Mar. 13, 2011Let’s build a city we can love
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Feb. 22, 20112010: a year of civic progress
4 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 31, 2011Heart of Chinatown tossed aside
4 minute read Preview Monday, Jan. 10, 2011Shopping for an urban esthetic
5 minute read Preview Monday, Dec. 20, 2010Density makes cities richer
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 29, 2010Modernist buildings have a story to tell
5 minute read Preview Monday, Nov. 8, 2010Kenora putting on its best face
4 minute read Preview Monday, Oct. 18, 2010Shining a light on downtown
4 minute read Preview Monday, Sep. 27, 2010Exchange needs a delicate blend
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, Sep. 7, 2010Pedestrian mall? Groovy, man
4 minute read Preview Monday, Aug. 16, 2010Sports facilities help cities avoid ‘doughnut’ look
4 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 26, 2010Provocative designs may redefine city
4 minute read Preview Monday, Jul. 5, 2010Imagine a Paris with no Eiffel Tower.
It seems incredible today, but from the moment the French icon began to rise skyward, it faced widespread opposition. The newspaper Le Temps wrote that the tower "threatened French art and history," its radical design destroying the "intact beauty of Paris."
Novelist Guy de Maupassant famously ate lunch every day in the tower's restaurant because, as he put it, "It's the only place in Paris where I don't have to look at it."
This shows that even in great cities like Paris, change is and has always been received with hesitation. Negative reaction to the unfamiliar is human nature no matter where you live.
Downtown’s status symbol
5 minute read Preview Monday, Jun. 14, 2010Spanish city model for future Forks
5 minute read Preview Tuesday, May. 25, 2010Blot on downtown landscape
4 minute read Preview Monday, May. 10, 2010Urban gems helping city shine
4 minute read Preview Monday, Apr. 12, 2010Star power elevates skyline
4 minute read Preview Monday, Mar. 22, 2010American tennis star Andre Agassi famously claimed, "image is everything." Actress Jennifer Lopez sells music, clothing and perfume bearing her name. Until recently, golfer Tiger Woods' trademark smile was used to sell everything from cars to soft drinks. The pervasive nature of today's mass media has created an explosion of celebrity culture in society.
Image-based celebrity branding has infiltrated even the traditional world of architecture, where media savvy 'starchitects' and their signature styles have become commodities to be purchased like the latest fashions off the runways of Milan. Cities around the globe clamour to have the latest works of the hottest 'it' designer. Having one of their buildings in your skyline is seen as the equivalent of having an Armani suit in your closet. Like casting Brad Pitt to star in your movie, building owners often hire 'starchitects' to ensure a level of prestige for their projects. While this phenomenon has traditionally been the playground of global cities such as New York and Toronto, three current Winnipeg projects indicate it may have found its way to our humble city.
The new Richardson International Airport terminal was designed by one of the most high-profile architects to ever work in Winnipeg. Argentine César Pelli is most famous for creating the striking Petronas Towers in Malaysia. Once the tallest buildings in the world, they starred prominently alongside Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Hollywood movie Entrapment.
The dramatic design of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, under construction at The Forks, is by celebrated American architect Antoine Predock, who received the commission after winning a design competition that included nearly every 'starchitect' in the world.