Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
Project partners prepare to build first phase of largest cultural infrastructure project underway in Canada.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), Arts Commons and The City of Calgary have broken ground on the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) expansion, marking a significant step forward in the delivery of what they describe as being the largest arts-focused infrastructure project currently underway in Canada.
Construction on the $660 million ACT expansion – designed by KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects and Tawaw Architecture Collective – begins in January. Construction will be managed by EllisDon with project management by Colliers Project Leaders, and is expected to be completed in 2028.
“Since revealing the architectural designs for the ACT expansion in April, CMLC, as Development Manager for the ACT project, has been working with our construction and project management teams to develop a strategic and efficient construction management plan for the project, and to secure approval for our Development Permit this fall,” Kate Thompson, president and CEO of CMLC, said in a December statement.
“A groundbreaking is an exciting moment in any project – it represents the culmination of years of advocacy, design, approvals and planning, and marks the beginning of really bringing a project to life. We can’t wait for the ACT expansion to begin to take its place in Calgary’s iconic skyline.”
The ACT expansion is the first of the three campus transformation phases to begin construction. The other two phases include the Olympic Plaza Transformation (OPT) project – which is now fully funded – and the ACT modernization, for which efforts are underway to secure the remaining required funds.
“To finally be able to break ground on this once-in-a-lifetime project, with such an unprecedented level of public and private support, sends a strong message to the world about the importance of arts and culture to a city’s well-being, as well as to Calgary’s position on the global stage,” said Alex Sarian, President and CEO of Arts Commons.
“Earlier this year we were humbled to announce both the Government of Alberta’s $103 million commitment, and Dave Werklund and family’s record-setting $75 million transformational gift which, combined with the $320.5 million of already secured funding, brings us to over 75% of our fundraising goal for this $660 million downtown cultural campus. As we prepare to unveil our rebranding to Werklund Centre in 2025, I am overwhelmed by the sense optimism that comes from building the future of our city together.”
Meanwhile, design is underway for the Olympic Plaza Transformation (OPT) project, which will create a more modern, inclusive and accessible arts-focused outdoor gathering space as part of the contiguous Arts Commons campus upon its completion in 2028. The design for the Olympic Plaza Transformation project will be revealed in by April.
“The project partners and design team are hard at work on the design for the OPT project, coordinating with the ACT expansion design team to ensure seamless integration of the two adjacent projects and incorporating the feedback we heard from more than 3,000 Calgarians and event organizers through our public engagement in early 2024,” continued Thompson.
“Our ambition for the OPT project is to ensure that the aging plaza is revitalized so that it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations of Calgarians, as it has been for more than 35 years. We’ve heard from Calgarians that it is important that the plaza’s Olympic legacy is reflected in the new space and we are exploring how that legacy will be thematically represented in the new plaza’s design, and we look forward to sharing that design with Calgarians in 2025.”
