Above ground construction is now underway on the 170,000 sq. ft. Werklund Centre Transformation (WCT) Expansion in downtown Calgary, marking a meaningful step towards increasing community access to the arts.
Led by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) in partnership with the Werklund Centre and the City of Calgary, the WCT expansion is the first part of a two-phase transformation project designed to expand and modernize the city’s premier performing arts centre and revitalize the adjacent Olympic Plaza.
Phase one of the project includes building two new theatres: the 1,000-seat Osten-Victor playhouse and a 200-seat studio theatre. Both theatres will use a specialized “box-within-a-box” building design, which incorporates thicker walls, acoustic separation and vibration isolation systems to enhance and shield live performances from nearby activity and CTrain noise.
This phase also includes the Olympic Plaza Transformation, which will revitalize the plaza originally constructed for the 1988 Olympics. Together, these projects will be a catalyst to create a vibrant and active City Centre.
Both projects are targeted for completion in 2028 as part of the city’s downtown strategy, which focuses on increasing vibrancy, economic activity and cultural investment in the downtown core.
Our Colliers Project Leaders team in Calgary is providing project management services for the project, working in collaboration with EllisDon, KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects and Tawaw Architecture Collective.
Phase two of the WCT program – the modernization of the existing Werklund Centre –is in design and, pending funding, will aim to proceed with construction.
Read more about the Werklund Centre’s transformation project and its development at Calgary MLC.
