Calgary’s downtown arts district is evolving. Last December, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, Arts Commons, and the City of Calgary broke ground on the Arts Commons Transformation. And following a $75-million gift from Calgary philanthropist Dave Werklund and his family, the building has been renamed Werklund Centre. Construction began January 2025, marking the first stage of a three-phase plan that also includes the redevelopment of Olympic Plaza and the modernization of the existing Arts Commons building.
As you’ve probably noticed when hopping the train nearby, crews have been working on the excavation and foundation preparation. According to Kelly Coles, vice president of Building & Infrastructure at CMLC, waterproofing is complete, and work is underway on storm-management systems and cisterns. For now, the site is still a large excavation pit, but the structure should begin to rise in early 2026.
I. The Expansion
The next visible step in the project will be the construction of the concrete form for the larger of the two new theatres: the 1,000-seat Osten-Victor Playhouse. A second, smaller venue will offer a flexible 200-seat layout.
A key driver of the expansion is Calgary’s shortage of mid-sized performance spaces. As Alex Sarian, CEO of Werklund Centre, explains, the city’s professional venues currently jump from roughly 750 seats at Max Bell Theatre to nearly 2,000 in the Jack Singer Concert Hall, with limited options in between. The new playhouse is meant to bridge that space. The studio theatre responds to companies and artists who want smaller, more intimate, and more flexible spaces.
While Werklund Centre oversees the design and upkeep of the new venues, local organizations and communities will drive programming. Sarian describes the centre’s role as “stewards of the space,” facilitating access for arts organizations through shared services and financial frameworks. To him, the model is both nerve-wracking and exciting. The true test will come once Calgarian artists and audiences start using the new venues and shaping how they evolve.
II. Olympic Plaza, Transformed
Construction on Olympic Plaza, including a new small pavilion, will also begin early next year. The project has its own budget and design team, but it still falls under the larger Werklund Centre campus. To keep everything aligned, both projects share the same construction manager and operate on the same construction site.
“One of the biggest changes that we’ll see in the transformed Olympic Plaza is related to the grade of the site,” said Coles. The original Plaza had many physical barriers that made it difficult to move around. “We brought the entire grade up, so the grade of 8th Avenue between northbound Macleod Trail and southbound 1st Street will now flow into the Olympic Plaza park.” This shift opens up sightlines, improves safety, and makes the space more accessible.
But building in the heart of downtown is complicated. There’s the traffic disruption, along with the challenge of keeping nearby partners like the TELUS Convention Centre and the Glenbow operating smoothly. And then there are the heritage buildings right next door: Teatro, the Calgary Public Building, and the Burns Building. “We have to be very mindful in our construction practices about not impacting those buildings,” Coles said.
But even with the complexities, she’s excited by what’s ahead. “I’m thinking about revitalizing all of downtown and making such a big impact on arts and culture.”
III. Modernization
The next phase focuses on modernizing and reimagining the existing building. “We’re primarily looking at the interstitial spaces — the publicly accessible areas between the performance venues,” said Coles. Some theatres will receive minor updates, but the main priority is improving how people move through the building. The +15 route will now run directly through the facility and connect to street level, bringing more activity to the ground floor.
As part of the modernization phase, the team is also evaluating how the building can better support its educational work. Werklund Centre already partners with both Calgary school boards and hosts students throughout the year. “We currently work with tens of thousands of young people a year, and we’re at capacity,” said Sarian. The updated facility will include a dedicated Werklund Education Wing. The idea is to expand the spaces they already operate and give the program room to grow.
It Takes a Village
In the comments of a CBC article about expansion, many asked, “Who” is the project for? Sarian himself thinks about it a lot. “What keeps me up at night is, ‘what if we open this campus and there’s no artist community left because the city becomes too expensive, or people leave for opportunities somewhere else?’”
Calgary is growing rapidly, with the population expected to reach 2 million within 4 years. A rising population raises bigger questions. Will the city stay affordable? Can artists build sustainable careers here? Will Calgary become a bigger destination for artists?
For Sarian, the answer depends on whether the city chooses to prioritize the arts as it grows. “Our biggest advocacy push right now should be to ensure that the arts community is a part of that growth.”
He describes the new campus as the “hardware,” while emphasizing the need to invest in the “software” — the artists, organizations, and the broader ecosystem that allow culture to thrive. “We’re a big player and a key contributor to hopefully the future of the arts community in Calgary,” Sarian said. “But it really takes a village. Werklund Centre can’t do it alone. It needs to be much bigger than us.”
Visit werklundcentre.ca for more information on the expansion.
