The Art Gallery of Alberta Building

2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1
T: 780.422.6223
F: 780.426.3105
youraga.ca
The Art Gallery of Alberta Building
Celebrating its prominent location on Sir Winston Churchill Square in the heart of the Arts District in downtown
Edmonton, the design of new AGA extends the Gallery into the community, welcoming visitors to experience art first
hand. The design takes inspiration from the city of Edmonton’s unique northern environment and urban grid. Angular
windows are juxtaposed against a winding 190-metre steel ribbon that references the forms of the North Saskatchewan
River and Aurora Borealis. The movement of this continuous stainless steel structure through the Gallery’s interior and
exterior reinvents the museum’s public spaces, continually connecting visitors with their downtown surroundings.
The building is crafted from three key materials: patinaed zinc, high performance glazing, and stainless steel. These
materials reflect Edmonton’s dramatic weather pattern and the extreme contrast of the long days of summer and the
short days of winter, allowing the building to transform in response to its natural surroundings.
Randall Stout Architects, Inc. (RSA) was selected from 25 international submissions during the spring of 2005, to
redesign the former gallery building originally designed by Edmonton architect Don Bittorf in 1969. The RSA design was
chosen by a selection committee and announced on October 15, 2005. The new building has nearly doubled the area
of the former gallery and its environmental controls meet the highest museum standards.
Facts
The Architect
• Randall Stout, FAIA is president of Randall Stout Architects Inc, a Los Angeles based architectural, interior, and
urban design firm. A passionate advocate for environmental responsibility, Stout is a LEED Accredited Professional.
• Consistently challenging architectural conventions, Stout creates environments that capture the unique
composition of their natural surroundings, while transforming light, shadow, form, and materials into dynamic
architecture. His projects are known for vibrant forms, state of the art technology, and environmental
sustainability.
• Current and recently completed projects include the Taubman Museum of Art (Roanoke, Virginia, USA) and the
Hunter Museum of American Art (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA).
Design Inspiration
• The duality of Edmonton’s urban grid layout juxtaposed against the winding contours of the North
Saskatchewan River is reflected in the square & curved components of the new design.
• The swirling forms of the Aurora Borealis provided inspiration for the building’s main stainless steel feature.
• Height of Aurora Borealis: 31 metres (102 feet)
• Length of Aurora Borealis: 190 metres (625 feet)
• Selected to reflect Edmonton’s dramatic weather patterns and the extreme contrast of the long days of summer
and the short days of winter, the steel, glass and zinc create a dynamic quality that allow the building to
transform along with its natural surroundings.
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2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1
T: 780.422.6223
F: 780.426.3105
youraga.ca
The Art Gallery of Alberta Building
The New Building features
• Significant increases in the exhibition spaces
• Gallery space for the AGA permanent collection of more than 5,000 pieces of art (a new off-site Collection
Storage Facility was completed as part of the first phase of the New Vision project).
• Expanded Art Education Centre, doubling the number of classroom/studio space
• Restaurant, gallery shop, and the renovation of the 150 seat theatre
• Number of diners the catering kitchen can serve at one sitting: 75+
• Unique facility rental spaces such as main floor atrium for banquets with catering kitchen, an outdoor sculpture
court, and ‘floating’ private lounge
• Height of atrium lobby ceiling: 26 metres (86 feet)
• Height of the Grand Hall ceiling: 10 metres (32 feet)
• Combined floorplate of Grand Hall and Atrium: 464 square metres (5,000 square feet)
• New freight elevator that will allow the Gallery to host and feature large piece exhibitions
• Weight capacity of freight elevator: 5,443 kilograms (12,000 pounds)
Structural Steel
• 800 tons of will be used in the framework of the building
• Includes 5,000 individual custom made steel pieces; laid end-to-end they would total 12 kilometers
• 90% of the steel is comprised of recycled material
• Total Station surveying, a system that uses three-dimensional coordinates much like GPS, has been used to
install pieces of the borealis feature.
• 120-person construction crew required for renovation
Exterior Materials
• Patinated zinc panels
• Sinuous “Borealis” structure constructed stainless steel
• Energy efficient fritted glass
The Light Column
• Designed by Randall Stout specific for recognizing the supporters of the building
• Structural material is comprised of acrylic panels, illuminated from within
Visualizing the Interior
• Created directly from architectural designs, local Edmonton company 3DInteractive have developed a ‘virtual
walk thru’ of the new building that can be viewed at the AGA, or on the Gallery’s website
Sustainable Design Strategies
From its inception, the new Art Gallery of Alberta design has incorporated sustainable design strategies and energy
concepts. These sustainable design elements bring their own aesthetic characteristics to the building design palette that
includes the consideration of form, space, light, shadow, and materiality. Collectively these elements yield a cohesive
and integrated solution to environmental considerations. This solution not only makes the space more pleasant and
comfortable for the occupants, but will limit the use of non-renewable natural resources throughout the life of the project.
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2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1
T: 780.422.6223
F: 780.426.3105
youraga.ca
The Art Gallery of Alberta Building
• Improved Public Transit Connections
The project greatly improves the AGA connection to the LRT which should result in higher percentages of
visits by mass transit rather than private automobile.
• Daylighting / Sun Control
Ample natural light is allowed into the public spaces, circulation zones, and administrative offices
through the curtain wall and clerestory glazing. In addition to providing a more pleasant environment,
daylighting will significantly reduce the internal lighting loads required for the building. South overhangs
minimize sunlight penetration of the atrium and public spaces in summer months and allow solar gain in
winter months.
• High Performance Glazing Systems
Low-E insulating glazing units with thermal break mullions will be utilized to maximize daylight and
minimize solar heat gain. Where west and southwest sun is a concern, a ceramic dot frit pattern with
40% coverage will be integrated within the insulating units to control glare and solar heat gain.
• High Performance Building Envelope
The existing structure to remain which is not currently insulated will be fitted with a new moisture
barrier and R-23 insulation within a new wall cladding system and R-36 within roof areas resulting in a
dramatically more energy efficient building. New construction walls and roofs will also be insulated to
high energy efficiency values of R-23 and R-36 respectively. Galleries are ‘cocooned’ with a freestanding
secondary interior wall creating air space for increased thermal isolation.
• Efficient Lighting Systems
Lighting systems will have dimming capabilities so that lights may be utilized at 92% of capacity to
reduce energy use while significantly extending the lamp life.
• Efficient Heating and Cooling systems
To minimize energy use for air distribution, radiant heating and cooling will be utilized in the floor system
throughout the public spaces on the ground level, thereby minimizing use of air distribution. All HVAC
equipment is specified to have the most efficient motors possible and overall HVAC loads will be reduced
through the use of insulation on piping and ducts as required by ASHRAE standards. Other mechanical
strategies include electrostatic filtration, condensing boilers with efficiency greater than 85%, closedloop
cooling towers to allow winter time free cooling, and displaced ventilation in specific areas which
results in less cooling energy consumed and reduced fan energy. Building commissioning by a third party
agent is required to help ensure that the system is running in an optimal manner.
• Indoor Air Quality through use of low VOCs
Adhesives and glues used in the composite panels and material adhesion are specified to emit little or no VOCs
(Volatile Organic Compound). The AGA will maintain a policy to restrict use of such off-gassing adhesives,
paints, cleansers, and solvents in their painting studios, janitorial supplies and maintenance operations.
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2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5J 2C1
T: 780.422.6223
F: 780.426.3105
youraga.ca
The Art Gallery of Alberta Building
• Water Conservation
The use of low flow water closets and lavatories along with use of flush and lavatory sensors will limit
general water use.
• Reuse of Existing Structure
A great portion of the existing concrete structure has been retained to minimize demolition and consumption
of new resources. 37,000 sq ft of the original 55,000 sq ft structure will be retained and reused.
• Recycled Content Materials
Both the base building materials and interior finishes are specified to include recycled content. The new
concrete, insulation will contain post industrial recycled content: iron-ore slag used to make mineral wool
insulation and fly ash in concrete. Materials with post consumer recycled content (material likely diverted
from landfills) include wall coverings, glazing, quarry tile, carpet, engineered wood panels, and substrates.
• Recyclable Materials
Numerous easily recyclable materials are specified including steel, concrete, glass, aluminum, wood, and
zinc. In addition, the approach to gallery moveable partitions is a system that would allow for maximum
re-use of existing studs, plywood, and drywall.