A central hub for visual arts, pottery, fabrication, performance theatre.

The Canmore Mountain Arts Foundation (CMAF) worked with the Town of Canmore to transform Canmore’s old public library building (and before that, a liquor store) into a community arts centre. GEC worked with the building committee and members of the CMAF, and with the Canmore arts community, to validate the programmatic requirements, complete a facility assessment, and develop a design to meet the arts community’s needs within the existing space.

The renovation involved the removal and replacement of the existing roof and roof structure to meet today’s snow loads, and all new mechanical and electrical systems. This project was undertaken with a modest budget, strategically focused on the most important functional components of the interior. The exterior shell was left in its current condition, with the front entrance updated to make the building welcoming and provide a new identity to the facility. The repurposing of the building involved a complete interior demolition and reconfiguration. The space was divided into four distinct studio spaces: a visual arts studio, wet studio for pottery, fabrication studio, and a performance studio with 100 seats. These studios are located around a gallery space that provides a central gathering hub and circulation functions, as well as display space.