The designs for Calgary’s Arts Commons expansion project have been released.
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) revealed the designs on Thursday — the first phase of the $660 million transformation project will add a new building with a 1,000-seat theatre, and a 200-seat studio theatre to the campus.
Kate Thompson, President & CEO of CMLC, says the project is about moving through the three phases of expansion, Olympic Plaza transformation, and modernization.
“Each of them has a role to play, the expansion is what we announced today with the new design,” she says.
She adds that one of the new designs includes a “spectacular three-level building with 162,000 square feet of modern features and amenities that will elevate Calgary’s growing arts community.”
The expansion construction will take place through 2024 and will boost Arts Commons seating capacity by 45 per cent.
“When we move into the modernization of the existing facilities, we’ll have a place to put some of the theatre spaces as we work through that project,” Thompson says.
The expansion has a projected cost of $270 million. It is being funded by the City of Calgary and the CMLC’s Community Revitalization Levy.
“Building on the momentum of the investment and work already underway through the City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy, the Arts Commons Transformation is at the heart of how we bring Calgary’s downtown to life with the creative economy,” says Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
“The expansion of Arts Commons will further elevate Calgary’s stature on the world stage and draw even more people to the downtown core.”
A rendering of the new 1,000-seat theatre in the expansion of Arts Commons, set to a flat floor configuration. The theatre floor layout can be altered to several unique configurations to accommodate the broadest variety of productions.
The modernization carries the same $270 million projected cost as the expansion and will need additional funding before constriction begins.
The transformation of Olympic Plaza has a projected cost of $70 million, $40 million of which is committed through the city’s budget.
Events being held in Olympic Plaza will need to be paused at the end of 2024 make way for the Arts Commons expansion and plaza redesign. The city says they will work with organizers to find alternate locations.