This project considers the importance of coal in the emergence of Alberta’s booming economy, beginning if the early 20th century, and the trajectory of exploitation that occurred to catapult Alberta’s prominence in the energy sector. All of this happened at the expense of the untouched natural environment and surrounding communities, which were affected by pollutants released through the process of excessive mining.

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The intervention builds on the character of an empty open pit coal mine, with the addition of a multitude of volumetric coal structures, which will work to return volume that was taken from the site, while providing spaces of reflection and learning.

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The project questions the tendency to conceal sites of extreme excavation, treating them like secrets which should be kept away from the public eye and first-hand experience. Instead, the project explores ways in which the disposed and vacant nature of these open pit mines – which have come to their end of life – can begin to see signs of life again; not only through current methods of reclamation, but also through avenues of tourism and education that will provide an attraction for visitors who are keen to gain a sense of awareness around how open-pit mining came to be and to learn about the properties of coal that could prove to be beneficial in the future, revealing the beauty of coal and providing a shift in its reputation of being a “dirty” material.