CALGARY – The designs for the Arts Commons Transformation expansion project in Calgary were recently unveiled with inspiration drawn from Alberta’s dramatic landscapes.
A collaboration between the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), Arts Commons and the City of Calgary, the project is a new 162,000-square-foot building in downtown Calgary with a new 1,000-seat theatre and 200-seat studio theatre.
“The transformation of the Arts Commons campus is a more than half-billion-dollar investment in Calgary’s arts and cultural future,” CMLC president and CEO Kate Thompson said in a statement.
“Together with our partners at the City of Calgary and Arts Commons, CMLC has been working with the prime design team since early 2022 to advance the concept and schematic designs for this extraordinary city-building project.”
The design team was made up of architects and designers from Toronto’s KPMB Architects, Calgary’s Hindle Architects and Arizona- and Calgary-based Tawaw Architecture Collective.
“At the heart of the Arts Commons Transformation project is an intention to create a new performing arts space that is ‘of and for Calgary’ – a place where everyone is welcome. This simple yet powerful idea inspired our design for a purpose-built facility that reflects the spirit of the community it serves, is thoughtfully connected to its history and culture, and is designed with respect for its surroundings,” explained KPMB partner Kevin Bridgman.
“The expansion building’s curved form, exterior cladding and interior finishes are inspired by Alberta’s dramatic landscapes and the regional lodge typologies. With a naturally lit, fully transparent ground floor, the design team placed importance on the southeast corner where a gathering circle with a skylight provides space that welcomes Calgarians and encourages visitors to come together and share stories.”
The expansion includes and increase in seating capacity by 45 per cent and the 1,000-seat theatre has the capacity to alter the floor’s layout to accommodate a broad variety of productions, a CMLC release said. The 200-seat studio theatre is also able to use different configurations with retractable and demountable platform seating and an opening out to the plaza.
The $660-million project includes the Arts Commons expansion and modernization, transformation of Olympic Plaza and a $50 million Arts Commons endowment. The $270 million expansion of Arts Commons is fully funded by the City of Calgary and CMLC’s Community Revitalization Levy, the release said.
The cost for modernization, still in the design stages, is anticipated at $270 million with additional funding required prior to construction.
The adjacent Olympic Plaza Transformation is still in conceptual design and has an anticipated project cost of $70 million, of which $40 million is already committed through Calgary’s 2023-2026 budget for downtown revitalization. The Alberta government also allocated an additional $103 million toward the project.
The project manager is Colliers with construction management by EllisDon. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2024 with the building expected to open fo the Arts Commons 2028/2029 season.
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