RC116 JanFeb 2025 - Magazine - Page 16
The column-free
Champions Ballroom,
inspired by light
filtering through old
barn wood, hosts
3,000 seated or
5,000 standing.
The vast outdoor
plaza situated
on the southern
side of the BMO
Centre spans nearly
100,000 square
feet and boasts art
installations with
nods to the Calgary
Stampede’s history.
16
“The very look of the building embraces both the
history and future of Stampede,” added Paulitsch, who
worked with project team colleagues from Populous,
Stantec and S2 to bring those design elements to life.
“It’s made in a circular, swirling, swooping fashion, like
a lasso that’s being spun in the air by a cowboy before
he ropes a steer.
“Then it tapers down (in a 170-foot curved canopy) like a sliding Honda Knot loop that gets it to the
Stampede Park, it was designed to host tradeshows on a
single level.
Despite the addition of new ballrooms, exhibit halls and
meeting rooms in both 2000 and 2009, more space and upgrades were needed if Calgary hoped to compete for convention business on a regional, national and international scale.
“For well over 100 years Stampede Park has been a gathering place for our community as well as for visitors from
around the world,” said Joel Cowley, CEO of the Calgary
ground (and a 100,000-square-foot outdoor plaza).
There it looks almost like the hoof of a horse digging in,
like it was running in a chuck wagon race.”
“Industry-wise, it’s raised the bar and a set a new
standard in convention centre buildings.”
That was the goal when talks began decades ago in
Calgary business and development circles on the need
to transform the BMO Centre into a larger, world-class
facility and architectural landmark that could attract
and accommodate large-scale events to the city.
First opened in 1981 as the Roundup Centre in
Stampede. “When we 昀椀rst explored
the idea of an expanded BMO Centre,
we did so with the vision of creating a
world-class facility that would o昀昀er Calgarians, southern Albertans and guests
to our city a greater way to gather.”
In 2018 that task fell to the Calgary
Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).
Created by the city in 2007 to kick-start
Calgary’s urban renewal by revitalizing the Rivers District—a 504-acre area
in the city’s downtown east end that
includes the East Village and Calgary’s
emerging Culture + Entertainment District—the non-pro昀椀t organization had just 昀椀nished managing
the 昀椀ve-year, $240-million construction of Calgary’s Central
Library, a stunning urban landmark in the East Village.
Partnering with the Calgary Stampede and the City of Calgary, the CMLC began the BMO Centre vertical build project
with an eye to enhancing guest experience in Stampede Park
and aligning it with other major strategic initiatives in its Rivers District Master Plan, including the redevelopment of the
Stampede Trail, the extension of LRT stations and the development of both a future arena and four million square feet of
mixed-use residential development.
RENEW CANADA – JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
RENEWCANADA.NET
CMLC
TOP100 PROJECTS
