Photo courtesy of Resnicow and Associates. ©Mir
The National Music Centre (NMC) of Canada celebrates the completion of Studio Bell, its new home and the latest cultural project designed by Allied Works Architecture (AWA).
The new state-of-the-art cultural centre is at once a performance hall, recording facility, broadcast studio, live music venue and museum?the first facility of its kind in North America and the first to be dedicated to music in Canada in all of its forms. Located in Calgary, Alberta at the site of the legendary blues club in the historic King Edward Hotel, Studio Bell connects visitors with Canada?s rich musical history through live performances, exhibitions and interactive education programs. Local audiences have been able to preview the new centre through a phased launch of exhibitions and programs beginning in July, culminating in the institution?s programmatic and architectural completion at the end of October. Marking Allied Works? most ambitious building project to date, Studio Bell rises in nine, interlocking towers, clad in glazed terra cotta. Its subtly curved design references acoustic vessels, while allowing for sweeping views of the Stampede Park, Bow River and surrounding cityscape. The project encompasses 160,000-square-feet of new construction, including a 300-seat performance hall and 22,000-square-feet of exhibition space. The masonry building of the ?King Eddy? has been fully refurbished and integrated within the NMC?s program in Studio...