Oregon-based Allied Works, and local partner BKDI, are selected to design the new national music center at the King Eddy site in Calgary’s East Village, following an international design competition. After an extensive worldwide search and impressive public presentations from five international architects, this highly anticipated announcement is considered to be a milestone event in the creation of Canada’s only national music center.
The project will revitalize the historic King Edward Hotel and provide 80,000 square feet of new space for music education, performance, recording, and exhibition of the Cantos Music Foundation’s growing collection.
The $100 million center is designed to house an education research center, museum, collection of instruments and memorabilia, recording studios, a radio station, a seven-days-a-week live music venue and a suite of innovative and creative programs for people of all ages.
The winning proposal envisions the center as a five-storey building designed as a series of resonant vessels or instruments orchestrated by the collections and programs of the new building. The design evokes the Western landscape, in particular the canyons and mountains of Alberta, Canada.
Allied Works, which partnered with local firm BKDI, was chosen from a short list of top international competitors: Diller Scofidio+Renfro, New York, with Kasian, Calgary; Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Paris, France; Saucier + Perrotte, Montreal; and SPF:architects of Los Angeles.
Cantos Music Foundation is a not-for-profit organization in Alberta, Canada. Their mission is to present educational and entertaining music programs targeted at diverse communities.
