Calgary’s BMO Centre is Open For Business

With more than a million visitors donning their Stetsons and heading to the rodeo every summer, there’s no question the Calgary Stampede brings in the big bucks. Since 1982, the BMO Centre, a fixture of Stampede Park, has hosted year-round activities that are more strictly business, like trade shows, corporate events and conferences. After two expansions in the 2000s, the centre topped out at 285,000 square feet of halls, meeting rooms and even a ballroom. Still, its size just couldn’t compete with the mega-venues in Toronto and Vancouver. Everything may be bigger out west, but the old BMO Centre wasn’t quite big enough.

In an effort to boost tourism and private development (and, by extension, tackle some stubborn downtown vacancies), the city approved yet another massive reno in 2019, splitting the $500-million price tag with the province and the federal government. Three architecture firms—Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture—were tasked with the overhaul, which included doubling the existing floor space and demolishing the beloved 70-year-old Stampede Corral. Five years, one pandemic, two million construction hours, 10,000 tonnes of steel and 2.4 million square feet of drywall later, the new BMO Centre opened its doors this past June.

Among all the requisite conference-centre specials—38 meeting rooms, two ballrooms and capacity for more than 30,000 people—the architectural touches are deeply Calgarian. The first-storey exterior is outfitted in gritty charcoal-grey masonry and glass, while, just inside, a reimagined version of the Stampede Corral’s Neon Cowboy—previously signage for concerts and Flames games—greets visitors at the entrance. The true marquee, however, is the centre’s copper-coloured front canopy, which curves toward 17th Avenue in a form inspired by the rolling foothills of southern Alberta. Thanks to some precisely placed steel beams, the swoop is able to move ever so slightly (and safely) with the wind.

The expansion was ready in time for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, and more than 500 conventions, including the Global Energy Show and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, were scheduled post-expansion. If the bookings continue at this rate, they’ll add roughly $100 million annually—and thousands of jobs—to Calgary’s economy via restaurants, rideshares and more. The city’s next big architectural undertaking? More hotels.