The architects reflected the name throughout the park. CCxA included actual strawberries in the planting palette of local flora on the contours of the promenades and green spaces. Both the large lawn, which occupies roughly two-thirds on the eastern side and features a small mound for tobogganing, and the West Plaza, across the path that covered over 107th Street, are strawberry-shaped in plan. The fruit theme is even more pronounced in the plaza, which is paved in a red-and-black plaid. But the strawberry-red pavilion by Gh3* is the most vivid allusion of all.

The plaza includes firepits by Gh3. Photo © CCxA, click to enlarge.

Located at the west end of the park, in front of the plaza, the 2,900-square-foot pavilion houses washrooms, offices, storage, and a rentable multipurpose space with a kitchenette for events, all under a distinctive roof. Like rows of strawberries planted in a field, barrel vaults are arrayed across the site. Diagrammatically clear, “it’s a very repetitive geometric form that then gets shaped and cut,” explains Pat Hanson, founding principal of Gh3*. “The uniqueness of the building,” she points out, “comes from that.”

Although it is visually evocative, the roof’s construction and materials are simple. The barrel vaults, cropped and sliced at curves and odd angles, are custom powder-coated ³/16-inch-thick aluminum panels hung on a superstructure of steel beams with arched wood purlins in between. Tube columns, painted bright red, support the roof as needed. The pavilion underneath, entirely composed of stained plywood or glass curtain walls, is at times held back from the edge of the roof to create shaded outdoor areas. The structure is heated for the harsh winters, but shading from the large overhangs and cross-ventilation through the sliding glass walls allow the pavilion to forgo mechanical cooling.

The aluminum barrel vaults are “sliced” following the outline of the site. Photo © Raymond Chow

The inside is finished in stained plywood. Photo © Raymond Chow

With its downtown location, the pavilion, and the park more generally, must contend with concerns about public safety. Like many North American cities, Edmonton struggles with public drug use and related homelessness. According to the Ministry of Health, in March 2025, the metropolis hit a record number of opioid-related deaths. Both the pavilion and the park center visibility as the approach to safety. CCxA designed an aurora borealis–inspired installation that rings the central lawn, bringing both light and public art to the park. Similarly, Gh3* ensured that all public areas of the pavilion, including those under washroom cubicles, have clear lines of sight. In addition, the design houses a booth for the two full-time attendants required by the city. “When the park was announced, there was a lot of cynicism that we’re going to create more space for social problems,” said Marc Hallé, copresident of CCxA. “What’s been interesting is, people go to the park expecting the worst but end up leaving with an epiphany that finally they have something good here.”

Beyond the shapes and colors of the design, the strawberry metaphor may run deeper. Strawberries are notorious for quickly spreading across gardens through offshoot vines that grow to become new plants. But that’s exactly what city officials are hoping O-day’min Park will do as a catalyst for urban rejuvenation. All early indications are that the park is having its intended effect. “Once developers found out about the plans, they started to buy up parcels of land around the perimeter,” says Hanson. One apartment tower next to the site has already been completed, and, according to the city, a total of 1,604 new residential units is expected to be either completed or under construction by the park’s first anniversary.

Image courtesy Gh3* Architecture

Image courtesy Gh3* Architecture