Design team chosen to reimagine Arts Commons

The exterior of Arts Commons in downtown Calgary is shown at sunset.

Arts Commons is receiving a major makeover with a distinctly Indigenous flavour.

The arts hub, which houses five theatres and the Jack Singer Concert Hall, announced a design team Wednesday that will be tasked with re-imagining a bigger, better Arts Commons that can serve as a catalyst for the revival of the city's core.

The design team includes Toronto architecture firm KPMB, Calgary's Hindle Architects, Danish nature-based design group SMA, and the Tawaw Architecture Collective, headed by Calgarian Wanda Dalla Costa, who is Canada's first female Indigenous architect.

Costa, who is also an Associate Professor at Arizona State University, and Tawaw "will ensure the Indigenous perspective is thoughtfully and meaningfully woven into all aspects of the design." Costa studied at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta.

Wanda Dallas Costa

Arts Commons will be transformed over two phases. The first phase will be an expansion of Arts Commons, adding new performance venues and support areas with thoughtful connections to the current building.

The second phase, a reimagining of the existing Arts Commons, will follow once funding is secured.

Construction will start in 2024, following in the footsteps of an extensive redesign of  the Glenbow, with the hope that the cultural heart of the city will be re-energized along with the area's business community.

 "A thriving creative sector is essential to making Calgary a more resilient city. Arts Commons is one of the main pillar projects that will give our city a much needed boost," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek.  "It will catalyze growth, diversify our economic drivers and draw even more people to the downtown core."

The design team expects to reveal the design in fall 2022, with construction scheduled to begin in 2024.