[UrbanWarrior]

Contemporary Calgary is beginning the next phase of its construction "within the next 8 weeks" including the new $30 million entrance pavilion next to Downtown West Station, and the total renovation of the former planetarium into gallery space. The next phase after this will be the north addition along the river, at a cost of ~$87 million which is nearly funded.

Fourteen months into the pandemic, Calgary's newest art gallery is determined to stay optimistic and focused on the future

Contemporary Calgary, the sprawling new art centre located in the Centennial Planetarium, has sat empty for months.

calgaryherald.com

 

[October]

I love it! A art gallery like this is what this city is missing! I've been excited for this proposal since the day it was presented, i'm incredibly stoked it's beginning construction!

 

[UrbanWarrior]

It's actually been open for a year and a half or more. This will just be the first major new exterior construction of it. Having read the article, I'm gonna get a year pass once the restrictions are lifted. The two rotating exhibits there right now sound interesting.

 

[Colinfill]

Not sure if there has been any updates on the status of the Contemporary Calgary renovation, but just found some new renderings from KPMB including the current planetarium renovation and Class A Addition.

Total cost of the project is $117M with the following funding: $30M from Fed; $30M from Province; $25 from City; and $32 from private donations.

Architects: KPMB and Gibbs Gage

Source: https://www.kpmb.com/10350-2/

 

[AJX]

Looks great. Does anyone know what the timeline is for the expansion?

 

[The Familia]

Looks great! Simple, but elegant design. Will be a nice addition to the West End and hopefully attract a little more life to that area. Great to see the old planetarium saved and restored. Telus Spark is probably the biggest disappointment in terms of public infrastructure the city has built to date. What a terrible and underwhelming design, but I digress. If this gets going along with the Glenbow renovation and Arts Commons, it will really help boost the cities arts and culture scene. Now to work on our terrible sporting facilities....

 

[Zoom]

I really like it.

 

[adamyyc]

Looks great! This design is as much about how the building looks on the outside as it is about the view of the Bow from the inside. It reminds me of the Ottawa Convention Centre. It doesn’t look like it, and it’s not as beautiful, but the view is as striking from the outside as it is from the inside.

Will make a good addition to the City’s event space.

 

[1875]

someone needs to teach these guys how to photo shop

 

[goodcitywhenfinished]

I'm curious to see how the street-level interaction with 6th ave is designed. I can't see it being anything but awkward and inhospitable without a redesign of the current "stroad" as it stands.

 

[zagox]

I'm curious to see how the street-level interaction with 6th ave is designed. I can't see it being anything but awkward and inhospitable without a redesign of the current "stroad" as it stands.

That block of 6th avenue is less "stroad" than full-on highway on-ramp.

From the rendering it looks like there will be zero street-level interaction with 6th avenue, looks like a block-long 4m high blank wall with the glass only starting on the 2nd level above grade.

 

[UrbanWarrior]

The only real street level interaction will be on 11 Street across from Downtown West Station (first render in the most recent bundle posted)

 

[badc0ffee]

Does anyone know what became of this?

 

[FriendlyDrunks]

Does anyone know what became of this?

I've heard through the grapevine that there have been delays, no timeline.

 

[darwink]

I've heard through the grapevine that there have been delays, no timeline.

With flat to shrinking provincial grants, and escalating costs, this one is on ice.

I do remember Danielle Smith at the gala last year though.

The city and province found more money for arts commons instead 5 years back). The province funded Glenbow as well.

Alas. The way the cookie crumbles.

Next funding cycle perhaps, depending on arts commons future phases. At least contemporary Calgary is in a functional state.

I’d bet next decade for opening at best. And probably now in the $200-300 million range not counting original investments by the city. Because of the delay, the city will need to find new money for its portion as the base building spend will now be more than a decade away.