Kengo Kuma & Paul Raff win Alberta national park visitor center competition with landscape-focused design

A team led by Kengo Kuma & Associates and Canadian firm Paul Raff Studio has won the international competition to redesign the Banff National Park Visitor Centre in Alberta, Canada. 

Organized by Parks Canada in partnership with the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the competition invited six shortlisted teams to reimagine the 200 Block of Banff Avenue, the main civic gateway into Banff National Park. 

The winning scheme takes a landscape-focused approach, avoiding a singular monumental structure in favor of a series of low-profile buildings composed of wood, stone, and glass. Arranged around a central public plaza, the design frames views toward the Bow Valley and Mount Rundle while integrating visitor amenities, interpretive spaces, mobility infrastructure, and the adaptive reuse of the existing Parks Canada administration building.

The jury noted the scheme’s strong sustainability approach, as well as the emphasis on connecting users to nature. The jury also praised the scheme’s balanced approach to conservation, heritage, and Indigenous perspectives.

The completed visitor center is expected to accommodate approximately one million visitors annually, with construction anticipated between 2030 and 2032.