Contemporary Calgary Chooses Kuwabara as Architect

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Courtesy Richard White

Calgary Centennial Planetarium

Calgary Centennial Planetarium

Contemporary Calgary has selected Calgary-based Gibbs Gage Architects and KPMB Architects of Toronto to transform the Centennial Planetarium into a gallery for modern and contemporary art.

“We are thrilled to have the talents of Gibbs Gage Architects and KPMB Architects collaborating on this  next phase with us,” said David Leinster, chief executive officer of Contemporary Calgary.

The City of Calgary and Contemporary Calgary announced last June plans for a new gallery  in the 1967 planetarium.

The design will be led by KPMB partner Bruce Kuwabara.

KPMB has designed notable galleries and museums, including the Remai Modern in Saskatoon, the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, the Ottawa Art Gallery and the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

Contemporary Calgary says it expects to share design concepts with the public in the spring.

Kuwabara has been recognized with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal and the Ontario Association of Architects Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Contemporary art has the power to be a leading force in how we perceive and think about society and the world,” said Kuwabara. “The re-imagination of the Centennial Planetarium – an icon of optimism – into a dynamic, game-changing cultural hub, is an ideal project of architecture in our time.”

Source: Contemporary Calgary Arts Society