Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
Vertical construction is now visible on the 170,000-sq. ft. expansion of Calgary’s premier performing arts venue, marking a key milestone in the transformation of the Werklund Centre in downtown Calgary.
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), the Werklund Centre and The City of Calgary recently celebrated the start of vertical construction on the Werklund Centre Transformation (WCT) Expansion’s theatre box — the first above-ground phase of the project that will deliver a new performance venue in the city’s core.
The expansion was designed by KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects and Tawaw Architecture Collective. Project management is being handled by Colliers Project Leaders, with EllisDon serving as construction manager.
Since construction started in January 2025, crews have completed excavation, secant wall installation, building foundations and elevator shafts. With the 1,000-seat theatre box now rising to ground level, the project is shifting from intensive underground work to specialized structural construction.
“Since construction began in January 2025, the project team has completed critical foundational work,” said Kate Thompson, president and CEO of CMLC, which is serving as development manager. “With the 1,000-seat theatre box rising to ground level, Calgarians can begin to see the physical form of a project that will have a lasting impact on our downtown and city’s cultural landscape.”
The expansion will add two new theatres: the 1,000-seat Osten-Victor Playhouse and a 200-seat studio theatre. Both are being built using construction techniques specific to performance spaces, including thicker walls, acoustic separation and vibration isolation systems.
Designed as a “box-within-a-box,” the theatre structures are engineered to limit noise and structural movement, ensuring optimal acoustic conditions while remaining independent from the rest of the building and shielded from activity in the downtown core and nearby CTrain operations.
Alex Sarian, president and CEO of the Werklund Centre, said the specialized exterior shell will protect the Osten-Victor Playhouse from the noise and vibration of the surrounding city. He added that the theatre honours the legacy of philanthropists Al Osten and Buddy Victor, longtime supporters of the arts in Calgary.
The two-phased Werklund Centre Transformation and the adjacent Olympic Plaza Transformation form part of the city’s Downtown Strategy, aimed at increasing vibrancy, economic activity and cultural investment in the core.
“Downtown is the economic and cultural heart of our city,” said Thom Mahler, director of the Downtown Strategy at the City of Calgary. “This milestone demonstrates how we can deliver complex municipal projects through strategic planning and collaboration to support downtown revitalization and Calgary’s broader cultural ecosystem.”
The Werklund Centre and Olympic Plaza projects are funded by the Government of Alberta, the City of Calgary and Dave Werklund and his family.
