2021 Heritage Calgary Awards - Resource Conservation - Non-residential: Centennial Planetarium
2021 Heritage Calgary Awards
“Celestial Theatre”. Image taken in June 2019 by Jamie Anholt.
Centennial Planetarium, Lemay Architecture & Design Ltd.
Winner of the 2021 Heritage Calgary Award: Resource Conservation - Non-residential
What do you do with an iconic 1960s concrete structure that was created with a specific purpose and in need of a transformation? The City of Calgary worked with Lemay Architecture & Design Ltd. to re-imagine and re-vitalize the Centennial Planetarium as an important adaptive reuse project.
We connected with Grace Coulter Sherlock from Lemay about the project.
Grace Sherlock Coulter of Lemay inside the refurbished Planetarium, now home to Contemporary Calgary (Photo courtesy of Heritage Calgary).
HC: Tell me a little bit about your project.
Grace: Located in downtown Calgary, the City of Calgary Centennial Planetarium building was first opened for the Canadian Centennial in 1967. The facility was readapted as the Science Centre with a focus on children and children’s learning, but was vacated in 2011.
The building is listed as a site of historic significance in the city, and it was important the building could be preserved. That said, there were several areas of the building that required code updates, envelope updates, mechanical and electrical systems, and a new layout to suit a new purpose.
Grace Coulter Sherlock from Lemay at the Planetarium.
HC: What’s your background in this area?
Grace: I have a background in city planning and urban planning, with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Calgary. I have been surrounded by clients who have an emphasis on heritage work, and a peer group of some of the strongest heritage architects.
Second floor atrium. Image taken in June 2019 by Jamie Anholt.
Centennial Planetarium exterior. Image taken in July 2019 by Robert Lemermeyer.
HC: What inspired you to do this work?
Grace: This building was first built to celebrate Canada’s centennial, and a lot of Calgarians have strong memories here. My mom spent time here when she was younger, so the nostalgia for many is strong. This building is an important part of our history and urban landscape. Being able to contribute to a building that will outlive me is significant. This is a place where memories have been made for so many people, and will continue to do so.
HC: Why is sharing stories about heritage important to you?
Grace: I feel like there’s a lot of embodied energy in these buildings. We need to look at what we have and modernize it for accessibility, and be able to breathe new life into it. It’s important for us to place value on the buildings we have, and then as they age, we can adapt them to be healthier, more inclusive and sustainable. When we work on heritage buildings, it gives us a chance to connect with others and apply the best methods to move forward – sometimes current knowledge isn’t always the best practice.
HC: What’s something specific you would like people to know about your work?
Grace: There were many people involved in the success of this project, and everyone was so passionate about it. It was truly a labour of love. We had hand drawings that we had to reconcile, we needed to open up walls, all while keeping in mind what we were trying to preserve.
The east side of the building seen in the 1970s. U of C Archives.
HC: What’s something people might be surprised to know or learn about your project?
Grace: People have a good sense of what the building looks like, but there were vast systems behind the scenes that needed to be updated as part of the project. We re-built the roof, repaired the building envelope, updated sprinklers, mechanical and electrical, just to name a few.
HC: Describe what “heritage” means to you in one word.
Sustainable.
“Statue of lion on Centre Street bridge, Calgary, Alberta.” 1977. NA-2399-91. Courtesy the Glenbow Digital Collection, University of Calgary.