Allied Works Architecture and BKDI Selected to Design Cantos' National Music Centre in Calgary

The Cantos Music Foundation made the announcement that Allied Works Architecture and local partner BKDI have been selected to design Cantos’ new National Music Centre at the King Eddy site in Calgary’s East Village. After an extensive worldwide search and impressive public presentations from five international architects (previously on Bustler), this highly anticipated announcement is a milestone event in the creation of Canada’s only National Music Centre.

“The concept from Allied Works truly captured the heart and soul of this project,” said Andrew Mosker, executive director of the Cantos Music Foundation. “Brad and his team will give us an innovative building that fits with Calgary, Alberta, the West, and is symbolic of something that is truly uniquely Canadian. This is an exciting day for Calgarians.”

Brad Cloepfil founded Allied Works Architecture in his native Portland, Oregon. In recent years, Allied Works has focused on several significant cultural and educational buildings in the United States and can now add Cantos’ National Music Centre to their roster of impressive projects.

“The National Music Centre is an extraordinary instrument, silent and powerful, brought to life by its programs, collections and performances. The new building forms rise as sentinels around the re-born King Eddy, marking the entry to the East Village and new Music District,” commented Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works Architecture.

Based in Portland, Oregon and New York, New York, Allied Works Architecture is a globally recognized architectural firm with wide experience in the design of cultural, educational, and art institutions. Recent and current projects include the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, a major addition to the Seattle Art Museum, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the Museum of Arts and Design’s new facility at Two Columbus Circle in New York, the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado, the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas, a new animation studio for Pixar in Emeryville, California, and two major residential projects – the Dutchess County Residence and Guest House and the Hudson Street Loft in New York. In the last two years, the firm’s work has been featured in Architectural Record / Record Houses, Architectural Review, Space Magazine, Wallpaper, The New Yorker, Blueprint, Metropolis, and others.

On July 23rd, 2009, five world-renowned architects were asked to develop and present a bold vision for the future of the Cantos Music Foundation and the National Music Centre. The request included the public presentation of concepts honouring the iconic King Eddy Hotel while creating over 80,000 square-feet of space for programs and exhibitions. The Centre was required to house an education research centre, museum, collection of instruments and memorabilia, recording studios, a radio station, a seven-days-a-week live music venue and a suite of innovative and creative programs for people of all ages.

The four other competing architects were:
Studio Pali Fekete Architects: Los Angeles, California
Diller Scofidio + Renfro: New York, NY
Jean Nouvel Workshop: Paris, France
Saucier + Perrotte: Montreal, Quebec

The submissions were reviewed by a selection advisory committee comprised of musicians, architects, business experts, museum experts and others.