Unlocking the vault: Glenbow Museum’s bold new chapter
The Globe & Mail | December 10, 2024
Once called “a vault” for its imposing design and limited accessibility, Calgary’s Glenbow Museum is on the cusp of a dramatic transformation. With thick concrete walls, minimal windows and a barely noticeable entrance, the museum’s brutalist architecture stood in stark contrast to the vibrant stories housed within. Now, a $205-million renovation aims to bring those stories – and the building itself – into the light.
The imposing eight-storey structure, which has been closed since 2021 and opened in 1976, wasn’t initially built as a tourist destination – but as a workplace for conservationists and a controlled environment to store the museum’s collection, says Glenbow president and CEO Nicholas Bell. Nevertheless, the museum is a cultural institution. Over the years, it has welcomed thousands of visitors and been listed as the city’s best art gallery by Best of Calgary more than once.
“Over the decades, the staff did an extraordinary job of building a community through accessible programming, and the museum has had a lot of recognition nationwide,” says Mr. Bell. “But it was really fighting against its physical footprint.”
A brutalist relic
Architecture trends in the 1970s didn’t help Glenbow’s vibes. “Glenbow was built in a quasi-Canadian brutalist style, which was meant to be kind of monolithic,” says Robert Claiborne, creative director and partner at DIALOG, the lead architect and designer behind the transformation. “People weren’t comfortable going inside because they didn’t really feel welcome there.”
The structure of the former Glenbow was robust, constructed with unusually thick concrete walls, floors and columns to support the weight of the museum’s collection, says Mr. Bell. Visitors could only access three of the eight floors, with the remaining levels reserved for storage and conservation work.
Mr. Claiborne’s plans included demolishing the interior while retaining the structure’s skeleton. He’s a staunch believer in restoring and reimagining old buildings, rather than tearing down and building anew. The team, including development manager Colliers, construction services company EllisDon and RJC Engineers, were on board.