Stephen Avenue Mall, circa 1912. Reproduced with permission, Glenbow Museum

Front restored

Rear restored

Front before restoration

Rear before restoration

Gerald Forseth Architect

Project Description

The 1997 purchase of two properties and the subsequent move from the second floor of the staid historic Carnegie funded Central Public Library to flourishing Stephen Avenue by the Board of the Muttart Public Art Gallery signal their desire to increase public exposure to public exhibitions of art, to expand presentations in new art using electronic media, and to reinforce the arts activities of the zone surrounding the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts.

A bonus to the new image of the Art Gallery is the new buildings are located in an essential part of the historic sandstone building zone of Calgary; thus the two properties will have their front facades restored to their pre-1925 condition -- one red brick, the other paskapoo sandstone. These two storey buildings will be linked internally with large openings cut into the 22" sandstone walls.

There will be a flexible expandable main floor gallery of 2500 sq. ft. for standard visual art exhibitions plus a second floor gallery of 2000 sq. ft. outfitted and dedicated entirely to new audio/visual/multi-media artwork presentations.

An art school, mainly for children, will occupy nearly 1/4 of the floor space in this project, and a further 2200 sq. ft. is available for lease to other non-profit arts organisations, possibly including a studio for a painter or sculptor.

The rear facade and roof will be repaired and modified to include a new canopied second entrance (primarily used for school bus drop-off), and a new delivery door entrance, and restorations to the metal fire escape and to the existing five rooftop skylights.

In its new location the Visual Arts Centre will bring in new crowds and have an impact on many of the 90,000 workers who daily frequent the Stephen Ave. Mall. In its exposure of sandstone & brick walls, wood floors and metal ceiling coffers and elements, the interior will itself be exposed as an important historic visual art.

Drawings

• Front Elevation
• Rear Elevation
• Basement Plan
• Main Plan
• Upper Plan
• Roof Plan

Project Details

Location		117 and 119 Stephen Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta
Client		The Muttart Public Art Gallery
Architects		Gerald Forseth Architect (architect and prime consultant)
Consultants		Campbell Woodall & Associates Henderson Engineering Consultants Stebnicki Robertson & Associates Hanscombe
Cost		$1 500 000
Completion		Spring 1999

Other Gerald Forseth Architect Projects

Four Square House and Subdivision
Van Snellenberg Residence

This project was published on 1998.09.01.

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