Year-round Oasis
When it was time for the legendary Hole family to re-locate, their vision was not to build a better greenhouse, but to design a year-round experience for the whole family, a retail destination dedicated to healthy living, built in harmony with the earth. A place to relax, reflect and re-connect.
Opened in 2010 the result is a remarkable 220,000 sq. ft. green oasis, all under glass, all filled with natural light. The sun beams throughout the retail floor, garden centre, events space, and lower food floors. The Enjoy Centre houses state of the art greenhouses, an organic supermarket, wine store, flower shop, deli, bakery, retail stores, events venue for 600 guests and several meeting rooms. It is also home to one of Canada’s most beautiful Spas and a modern bistro overlooking Big Lake, all designed in a comprehensive modern style.
The architectural design is a blend of contemporary high-tech, crystalline green houses with their masculine geometric structure, meeting the curvilinear solidity of feminine contours of other buildings, creating an exciting architectural fusion.
The building is all about the connection between the inside and outdoors. The undulating landscape with a six-meter drop set the design directive and inspired the overall plan. Visitors are guided down into the recessed entrance via a curved walkway and make their way up through the three-storey building towards the light, discovering wonderful views of Alberta Parkland and Big Lake. Several patios and gardens inspired by terraced rice-fields navigate the drop and guide visitors in an easy flow.
The Enjoy Centre boasts a selection of innovative solutions and sustainable building techniques such as rain and waste-water management, co-generation, flood floors and interior finishes designed to educate and inspire visitors and staff alike.
E3 Architects created a ‘Total Design’, a Master-plan covering the architectural, landscape and interior design. A comprehensive, all-embracing artwork that marks a cultural coming of age for Alberta’s Capital Region.