Calgary National Music Centre, Canadian Building, East Village Project News, Property Design

National Music Centre Canada : Architecture

King Eddy Development for the Cantos Music Foundation in East Village, Calgary, Canada

Location: King Eddy, East Village, Calgary, Canada

Date: 2009-

Client : Cantos Music Foundation

Allied Works Architecture selected to design Cantos’ National Music Centre in Calgary’s East Village

29 Sep 2009

Calgary National Music Centre

The Cantos Music Foundation announce that Allied Works Architecture has been selected to design Cantos’ new National Music Centre at the King Eddy site in Calgary’s East Village. After an extensive worldwide search and impressive public presentations from five international architects, this highly anticipated announcement is a milestone event in the creation of Canada’s only National Music Centre.

“The concept from Allied Works truly captured the heart and soul of this project,” said Andrew Mosker, executive director of the Cantos Music Foundation. “Brad and his team will give us an innovative building that fits with Calgary, Alberta, the West, and is symbolic of something that is truly uniquely Canadian. This is an exciting day for Calgarians.”

Brad Cloepfil founded Allied Works Architecture in his native Portland, Oregon. In recent years, Allied Works has focused on several significant cultural and educational buildings in the United States and can now add Cantos’ National Music Centre to their roster of impressive projects.

“The National Music Centre is an extraordinary instrument, silent and powerful, brought to life by its programs, collections and performances. The new building forms rise as sentinels around the re-born King Eddy, marking the entry to the East Village and new Music District,” commented Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works Architecture.

Based in Portland, Oregon and New York, New York, Allied Works Architecture is a globally recognized architectural firm with wide experience in the design of cultural, educational, and art institutions. Recent and current projects include the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, a major addition to the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Museum of Arts and Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York, the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado, the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, a new animation studio for Pixar in Emeryville, California, and two major residential projects – the Dutchess County Residence and Guest House and the Hudson Street Loft in New York. In the last two years, the firm’s work has been featured in Architectural Record / Record Houses, Architectural Review, Space Magazine, Wallpaper, The New Yorker, Blueprint, Metropolis, and others.

On July 23rd, 2009, five world-renowned architects were asked to develop and present a bold vision for the future of the Cantos Music Foundation and the National Music Centre. The request included the public presentation of concepts honouring the iconic King Eddy Hotel while creating over 80,000 square-feet of space for programs and exhibitions. The Centre was required to house an education research centre, 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 four other competing architects practices were:

Studio Pali Fekete Architects: Los Angeles, California
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: New York, NY
Jean Nouvel Workshop: Paris, France
Saucier + Perrotte: Montreal, Quebec

The submissions were reviewed by a selection advisory committee comprised of musicians, architects, business experts, museum experts and others.

Facilities:
education research center, museum, recording studios, radio station, music venue

Five Architects Shortlisted:

The Extraordinary Instrument – Allied Works Architecture

The Mixing Room – Diller Scofidio and Renfro

Open Piano Tower – Atelier Jean Nouvel

Replicated Spaces – Saucier + Perrotte

The Soundscape – Studio Pali Fekete Architects

Decision due Sep 2009 : more details online soon

Previously:

Jul 24, 2009

Designs on Calgary: Five of the World’s Leading Architects
Present Their Visions for the National Music Centre in Calgary

(Calgary, Alberta): Music fans, architecture buffs and engaged citizens filled the Grand Theatre to capacity on July 23, to watch five of the world’s leading architects compete to design a major project in Calgary – Cantos’ new national music centre at the King Eddy site in the East Village.

As a crucial and exciting step in Cantos Music Foundation’s bold vision to develop Canada’s only national music centre, architects were tasked with developing and publicly presenting their concepts that honour the iconic King Eddy Hotel while creating over 80,000 square-feet of spectacular space that will house an education research centre, museum, world-renowned 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.

“We were absolutely blown away by the creativity, sensitivity and sheer brilliance all five teams brought to the table,” said Andrew Mosker, executive director of the Cantos Music Foundation. “No two were alike, but each addressed the unique design challenges presented by our project. Calgary would be enhanced by any one of these designs. We will have a very difficult decision to make.

Cantos national music centre project is a catalytic force in the rejuvenation of the East Village, one of Calgary’s oldest communities and one that has been challenged through its long history to realize its potential. Chris Ollenberger is the President and CEO of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), the organization charged with managing the area’s revitalization. “The progress Cantos has made with the national music centre project is truly impressive,” commented Ollenberger. “It is a crucial piece of the transformation of the East Village into a mixed-use, vibrant, inner-city community.”

Calgary National Music Centre images / information from Cantos Music Foundation

Location: King Edward Hotel, East Village, Calgary, Canada