The rolling prairie landscape and farm grid are the inspiration for The Meadows Community Recreation Centre and Edmonton Library. During the settlement of the Canadian prairie, farmsteads were organized around a macroscale Dominion Grid. This grid became the theme for ordering the community center site and its components. Architectural ideas explore the building as topography, reflecting the Alberta landscape through an undulating roofscape whose diverging slopes present opportunities for clerestory glazing and the provision of interior natural light. Internally, natural materials are emphasized, creating an environment that is visually appealing and also healthful for building occupants.
Indoor amenities include a twin-pad ice arena; an aquatic complex that includes a recreation pool and slide, as well as competition and therapy pools; a two-level fitness area with an indoor track; a multipurpose gymnasium; community multipurpose rooms; and a 15,000-square-foot branch of the Edmonton Public Library.
Complementary outdoor amenities include a leisure skate area, multi-use courts, an exterior library reading garden and amphitheater, a spray park, and beach volleyball courts.