World Stage Design was based at the drama department of Calgary University, postponed by a year as a result of Covid. The exhibition, displays, meetings and presentation variously occupied the Rozsa Centre, Reeve Theatre, Craigie Hall, and MacEwan Hall at the University and the Martha Cohen Theatre, C-Space and other downtown venues. Craigie Hall University Theatre from 1965 was ideal for the presentations and meetings though we could imagine it working equally well for theatre. It has a semi-circular thrust stage with a single central vom on axis for quick entrances and exits. It sits on the first floor approached by a grand staircase set within an atrium overlooking a mini ‘forest’ landscape within the precinct. It was one of several thrust stages we visited.
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Calgary University Craigie Hall auditorium and foyer stair
The main attraction for me was our visit to Arts Commons, formerly the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts and Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts (1985). As a name ‘Arts Commons’ didn’t strike a chord with me but does seem to be winning favour. The enterprise is undergoing a re-evaluation so maybe the name will change again when that task is complete.
Calgary Jack Singer Concert Hall exterior Calgary Martha Cohen Theatre exterior
Calgary Martha Cohen Theatre view from the stage
Calgary Martha Cohen Theatre view from the rear stalls and across the first circle
The operation fills a full city block and incorporates two existing buildings anchoring either end of the long axis. There was a graduation show running in The Jack Singer Concert Hall which occupies one end with the organ chamber strangely overhanging the street as if it wouldn’t fit. Sadly, there was no access that day. The other end of the complex houses the café, small atrium and offices with a long narrow corridor connecting the two. Stepping off this route is the signature Martha Cohen Theatre seating 386- 480 depending on its configuration. Its scalloped profile is just visible behind the brick façade, but its presence is otherwise masked. Let’s hope the current re-evaluation can improve this situation, because the auditorium is a gem of a playhouse. We were fortunate to rest a while in this space while we listened to presentations from its designer Iain Mackintosh (theatre consultant), Scott Reid who has designed productions there for over 20 years and from Joshua Dachs who holds the torch for the refurbishment. Is anything necessary to improve this theatre? Probably not, though subtle changes might be desirable. The effort will certainly go into the shared public spaces connecting it with the other theatres and in increasing its stature on the streetscape.
Iain’s discussion with UK theatre architect, Tim Foster, was pre-recorded as he was unable to travel. He shared his thoughts and inspiration from the Inigo Jones Cockpit-at-Court illustration (thought to be 1618 but later dated as being from 1660) and the proportions of the Cottesloe Theatre (1977) at the National Theatre in London. The apsidal development of the ‘courtyard’ typology brings as many people as close to the stage as possible for optimum audibility and visibility. End stage can be reconfigured into thrust or in-the-round formats in smaller or larger degrees. The omission of mechanisation offers infinite permutations, but change-over times can be costly and so a few well-tried pre-set states prevail. The side seats come into their own in thrust form but are seen as a problem in end stage with restricted view into the ‘golden triangle’ on stage. The stage front is fixed but the sliding (black serge) proscenium permits epic or more focused attention on stage. The timber struts on the balcony fronts interspersed with light fittings define the three compressed levels of seating: stalls and two shallow galleries. Side staircases provide connectivity between levels which help everyone to feel of equal importance in the space, and generous ambulatories behind the seats with a gap for changeable acoustics add to the anticipation of the theatre experience.
Calgary Max Bell Theatre auditorium
The larger Max Bell Theatre, which seats 750, is tucked behind and accessed either by another narrow corridor or by its own front door. It seems the 1985 concept for an arts centre was different from today: performance spaces operating independently within a single building but without much common space. The reality is that different companies occupy each theatre. This should not excuse the diminished shared endeavour, the building is called Arts Commons after all. The public areas are the poorest part of the complex and the foyers to the Max Bell are lamentably tight. The Max Bell Theatre could be imagined as a development of the Billingham Forum whilst anticipating the Derngate in Northampton,
both UK venues. In fact, it was on the drawing board (remember them?) at the same time as the moveable towers of the Derngate auditorium and concert shell were being explored. At the Max Bell, only the stage boxes move, swinging in tight for drama and widening out for music theatre. A sliding proscenium adjusts the stage opening in proportion. Sadly, the moveability of the towers has gone, and the boxes are locked off in their half-way position offering neither focus nor epic proportions. Was the difference marginal to the uncritical eye? The mechanism is an ingenious piece of engineering but perhaps not sufficiently understood to have been maintained.
Plan of stage boxes in intended narrow proscenium position, and wider position, but now fixed halfway between the two.
From the audience perspective the stage seems a long way away. The distance to the balcony front is 19m but from the stage the impression is of greater intimacy. The closeness of the side boxes might compensate for the longer centreline distance, but it seems otherwise to be a comfortable stage to play.
Calgary Arts Commons Big Secret Theatre
Calgary Arts Commons Engineered Air Theatre
We also visited the Big Secret Theatre studio with bar firmly located within the flexible auditorium and the Engineered Air Theatre in the basement of the Max Bell foyer which is a recital hall-cum-cabaret venue incorporating railings from the demolished 1911 Princess Theatre (cinema) that was on previously on the site.
Calgary Decidedly Jazz Danceworks exterior
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Dance Centre is a professional and community dance facility, built within a not-for profit enterprise. It inhabits the first four floors of a taller building that contributed towards its capital costs. The main level is expressed externally as a twist in the building ‘like the body of a dancer’ offering an accent to its street presence. Fundraising achieved a targeted endowment fund that ensures the future operation of this facility. For those that know the Rambert Dance centre on London’s South Bank will relate to the scale of operation. There are seven spacious studios with the largest equipped as a performance space. The stage has a full height, full width window onto the street and vacant lot opposite. As such it offers spectacular views of a yet-to-be-built neighbourhood as well as glimpses of dancers rehearsing and sometimes performing. Facing north it avoids the distraction of direct sunlight but is still a pleasant space with black drapery for wings or a dark backing. The seating for 230 is simple and the eight rows retract to provide the largest flat floor playing area. There are copious locker and changing rooms which the CEO suggested were over-estimated. Those attending classes tend to leave bags in the compartments provided in each studio and shower/change at home. A resident company of twelve has dedicated facilities including dressing room space for up to 22 but in gender specific rooms rather than a more fluid arrangement for diverse companies visiting the building.
Calgary Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Studio Two Calgary Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Studio Five
Nearby we could see the new Public Library by Snohetta and the National Music Centre Studio Bell. Further south, C-Space with its flexible studio to the side of the original building also hosted talks and presentations.
Calgary Public Library exterior and atrium and National Music Centre
Calgary C-Space exterior and studio interior c. Angus Media
Banff Centre from the air
Banff Centre Jenny Belzberg Theatre auditorium c. Chris Couse KPMB
Banff Centre Jenny Belzberg Theatre auditorium from the generously proportioned stage
From Calgary we drove into the Rockies stopping at Banff. The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a few miles further on from the town, is a campus of learning and conference. The drama and music departments training advanced students in intense semesters. There are several theatres and a concert hall on the site. The largest, the Jenny Belzberg Theatre – a refurbishment of the former Eric Harvie theatre by which it is still affectionally known – has been re-shaped within the existing walls of a wider fan-shaped auditorium. The spare space around the new auditorium has been redeployed as storage and additional gender-neutral toilets. The perimeter foyer is otherwise unaffected. The auditorium is still wide and shallow though a steepening of the rake and the introduction of side balconies corrects the proportions to a more intimate experience. The stage opening is unchanged thereby offering the designer an opportunity to frame the stage picture open or closed for drama, dance or opera. Overhead, the dark sloping ceiling is still the roof and has not therefore been altered. The acoustic volume seems low, perhaps benchmarked for opera so it is helpful that the capacity has been reduced in proportion to the remaining volume. Lighting equipment is still accessed from below with proscenium booms helping to narrow the apparent width of the room. The stage house is generous and tall allowing for large scale performances.
At the centre we also visited the smaller Margaret Greenham Theatre studio which is next in line for refurbishment. This 246-seat venue is best for jazz but has a sufficiently large stage to manage a wide range of performances. The foyer will also be expanded over the adjacent garden to improve connectivity between the theatres and teaching spaces.
The existing summer Shaw Amphitheatre
We also visited the open-air Shaw Amphitheatre set against the spectacular Rockies. The venue can only be used in the summer months so the TAC – Theatre Architecture Competition – sought ideas for making it useable all year round without losing its open nature. Fifteen entries were received from emerging architects, and each had a strong vision for how the setting could be improved. The joint winning entries proposed ‘Elevate’ with the stage becoming a self-contained pavilion when the proscenium is closed off with a sliding glazed screen; its companion ‘The Ring’ enclosed the area in a raised walkway with backstage accommodation fitted behind a cord across the stage end. The low walkway preserved view of the Rockies which were somewhat hidden in ‘Elevate’. The book of entries is available from Calgary University Bookstore: https://www.calgarybookstore.ca/shop_product_list.asp?catalog_group_id=LTQ&catalog_group_name=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM&catalog_id=779&catalog_name=V1NEIDIwMjIgQm9va3MgUHJlc2FsZQ&search_text=World+Stage+Design&f=.
From Banff we chose the longer scenic route through the National Park rather than the shorter direct route on to Edmonton. Stops at Bow and Chephren Lakes, Nigel Pass and Athabasca Glacier and Falls lead us to Jasper and then Edmonton.
Edmonton MacEwan University Allard Hall exterior and spacious atrium
In Edmonton we began at the MacEwan University’s new Allard Hall building. This 39,000sqm teaching building wraps around a central atrium with a recital hall (212 seats) a theatre (415 seats) and many studios for dance rehearsal and music performance.
The Betty Andrews Recital Hall at Allard Hall, McEwan University, Edmonton
The Betty Andrews Recital Hall fits into the corner of a square with a lozenge shaped stage and matching auditorium. It felt over-wide but is compact enough to suit chamber presentations. The timber cladding adds warmth with the ceiling (and grid) painted out black to focus attention down. The rear auditorium wall concealed a parapet with an extra 12 seats accessed from a hidden stair in the corner. Apparently, these are for staff to observe and capture performances though the open and closed control positions below were blatant. A concealed door behind the stage allows pianos to be wheeled in and out of storage though there is little space for artists to gather there. Helpfully the area connects to the rest of the building.
The Triffo Theatre at Allard Hall, McEwan University, Edmonton
The Triffo Theatre has a large stage, but a dithering client chose to lop a floor off the upper height of the fly tower which detracts from the otherwise optimum spatial planning. The fourth floor of the building was left as shell and core and fitted out a few years after the building opened. This was to allow it to respond to the changing needs of the department as well as an initial shortfall in funding.
The auditorium is darkly finished but with sufficient texture and colour to be attractive. The room is wide but with a single row of side seats at both stalls and balcony levels reaching to the stage. The connection is well made here.
If funding has been a problem, then the generous atrium – spectacular though this is – could have been the first element to have squeezed. It is not a great foyer and the glazed balcony fronts don’t help it become a cosy study area. The mini stadia seating on each level looks inviting but we were viewing this out of term so we could only imagine it inspiring spontaneous or planned performances and presentations.
Edmonton Citadel Theatre exterior with the 1986 Lee Pavilion winter garden on the left and original 1976 building on the right
A walk across the city took us to the Citadel Theatre, a complex of five theatres filling a city block. The original building included the end stage Shoctor Theatre (685 seats), the Rice Theatre studio (variable capacity), now a cabaret space and the smaller Zeidler Hall which is a recital hall and also a cinema. The plot to the side had been scheduled as a public park and was later covered and linked to the Citadel in 1986 providing a winter garden atrium with the thrust stage MacLab Theatre in a basement below. The 1976 foyer incorporates the ramp to the car park of the adjacent Library. The ramp cuts awkwardly into the ground and first floor foyers and was ‘celebrated’ by a glazed enclosure that has since been covered with graphics: there is honesty in construction and then there is pragmatism!
Edmonton Citadel Theatre entrance to parkade and glazed enclosure under the tiered seating of the Shoctor Theatre
Shoctor Theatre at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton
The Shoctor Theatre proscenium stage is a simple rectangle of seating on a steady rake. I recognised the adverse effect of both distance to the stage and width of the room, but the proportions were nevertheless pleasant, as if it were a large lounge. Wheelchair positions have just been introduced at a new entrance cross-over on former Row D placing users in an optimum position close to the stage. The flank walls at 45 degrees to the proscenium have a modular wooden panel system that allows equipment to be concealed or revealed.
Zeidler Hall at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton
Rice Theatre cabaret stage at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton
The Rice Theatre cabaret stage was draped out to hide the two rows of seating on the balcony. The square room with modular platform stage is 11.6 m between the balconies making this an intimate space. The stage at 900mm links into backstage access. It seemed a bit high but places the actor firmly in balance with their audience below and above them. But this balance relies on the balconies being occupied hence our surprise to find the balcony masked off. The open balcony fronts would not pass the safety test today but did but did offer good views into the room. A network of tight catwalks provides safe high-level access and potentially a few head bumps from the down-stand beams.
MacLab Theatre at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton
Five storeys of basement were excavated to create the MacLab Theatre under the 1986 atrium extension to the side. This is a 704-seat thrust stage with remarkable likeness to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, UK which had opened ten years previously. This is therefore an important theatre to include in the development of the Guthrie thrust stage. The key changes from the Crucible are a larger and higher stage house and a curved auditorium. But the stepped octagonal thrust, the steep voms (and run- around) under the front rows for quick entrances and exits, and the steep tiers on three sides are the same. The pinching of the seating back into the stage at the throat are absent here, just as they were soon cut out of the Crucible’s concrete stage surround. They would have hinted at the thrust area being more important than the vista stage behind the action, but both theatres seem to enjoy scenic embellishment. The MacLab has hosted the same annual production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for over 20 years. Like Christmas shows elsewhere, it helps to fund the rest of the programme as well as being a fixture in the seasonal celebrations. It has built a strong bond with its audience from an early age. The uninviting basement rehearsal room under the MacLab is reminiscent of the RSC’s rehearsal room under the Barbican Theatre in London. It has been redeployed for storage.
Tucker Amphitheatre at the Citadel Theatre, Edmonton
On the roof of the MacLab within the Lee Pavilion is a small daylight performance space, the Tucker Amphitheatre. This is used for social functions and weddings rather than for performances but has an intriguing asymmetry that Guthrie would have enjoyed. Just below it, the rear auditorium wall had a full- width operational waterfall which landed in a pool at lower foyer level. Sadly – and inevitably – the waterproofing had failed, and the ambience of the bar area is now somewhat lacking. The design is not helped by the inelegant space-frame truss nor the prevalent use of a terracotta paint. The colour pervades both phases of the building with its engineered red brick. It is ripe for a new vision to be applied. The combination of theatres and workshops is admirable and ensures a heathy provision of theatre in this city.
Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre exterior with PV panels on the fly tower
In Camrose, about an hour’s drive away, we visited a theatre that is a licensed power plant. It generates 68 Ohms of power and supplies more energy to the grid than it uses. Is this the ultimate goal for a sustainable theatre? The roof and fly tower are faced in photovoltaic panels with the rear wall facing south for maximum exposure to the sun. The tower is therefore expressed as a large black and shiny volume.
Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre Cargill Theatre
Architecturally the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre is unremarkable both inside and out. This ought not to have been a trade-off against the higher environmental credentials it promotes.
New technologies are possibly still too advanced to be an integral services of architectural firms that are more dextrous with spatial aesthetics. The auditorium is over-wide with the single balcony a long way from the stage and too high at the sides where the extending side arms could have reduced the apparent scale of the proscenium. However, the distance enables a stronger connection between the stalls and balcony. As a group, we were more intrigued by the Theatre Barn across the car park which looked like a former timber-framed chapel; it seemed instantly more interesting a space in which to create theatre. The University of Alberta, Camrose programmes only one show every other year so the building is available for the community use and touring shows. Circus is featured frequently in the programme.
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in 2001 before remodelling and in 2005 after
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium from the stage
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium stage from the rear Stalls
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium side wall technical installation; balcony front access; and roof void
There are duplicate theatres called Jubilee Auditorium in Alberta; one in Calgary in the South and one in Edmonton in the north, four hours’ drive away. These are on different sites but identical briefs so a single design was conceived that would provide matching interchangeability between them. They were both first opened in 1957 and refurbished identically too in 2005 with corresponding works in between. This is impressive cultural planning as well as an astute investment by the State.
The original buildings were far from perfect being over large cinema type auditoria optimised for classical music. You would have really sensed the scale and distances of the cavernous 2731 seat auditoria. Of course, the rooms are the same volume today but the remodelling of the interiors - notably the staggered side terraces which have reduced the expanse of the stalls and the re-tiered Upper Circle
– focuses attention away from the lofty side walls towards the vast proscenium. The architects and acousticians of the refurbishment had some experience of theatre work but their ingenuity on this project has had a remarkable effect. Alberta got two “identical” refurbishments each costing around 36mCAD but was this for two sets of fees or a single fee? Did duplication save on pre-fabrication? We were pleased to have fitted in this final visit before leaving for the airport.
The OISTAT Architecture commission meets on-line several times a year with open presentations from contributors, sometimes guests, but usually members of a national Centre. The annual meeting in person is an important opportunity to renew friendships and to experience the culture of different nations through their theatre buildings and performances. We are hugely grateful to the theatre hosts, to OISTAT Headquarters in Taiwan and our Canadian organisers, the University of Calgary, for contributing to the success of this meeting and tour.
Peter Ruthven Hall
Charcoalblue, 2022
Theatre Data
Banff Centre – Jenny Belzberg Theatre, Margaret Greenham Theatre, Shaw Amphitheatre Opened Completed 1966, opened 1967
Architect ??? (1966); KPMB (2020)
Theatre Consultant ??? (1966); Charcoalblue (2020) Acoustician Bob Essert, Sound Space Vision (2020) Project / Construction Cost 525,000 CAD (1966); 7m CAD (2020) Area 7000sqft / 650sqm
Capacity 930 seats reduced to 638; 246 MG Theatre + 2000 Shaw
Website banffcentre.ca
Calgary Arts Commons – Martha Cohen Theatre, Max Bell Theatre, Jack Singer Concert Hall Previous Names: Calgary Performing Arts Centre, EPCOR,
Opened 1985
Architect Raines Finlayson Barrett & Partners (1981) Theatre Consultant Theatre Projects (1978)
Acoustician Russell Johnson, ARTEC
Project / Construction Cost 79m CAD
Capacity 1797 (Jack Singer) + 750 (Max Bell) + 412 (Martha Cohen)
Website https://www.artscommons.ca/
Calgary Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre
Opened 2016
Architect Janice Liebe for DIALOG Project / Construction Cost 42m CAD, 3.5m CAD land value
Project Area 107,639 sq ft or 40,000sqft building
Capacity 230 (Studio 2)
Contact Cathy
Website https://www.decidedlyjazz.com/
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Twinned with Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton
Opened 1957, 1962 orchestra pit lifts added, 1960s foyer extension, 2005 refurbishment, 2014-2018 (loading bay)
Architect Ronald Clark, Chief Architect of the Department of Public Works (1955) and Fred Valentine (2005)
Theatre Consultant George C Izenour and xxx
Acousticians Dr. Vern O. Knudsen, Dr. Leo L. Beranek, Dr. Cyril M. Harris, Dr. T.
D. Northwood, and Dr. Michael Rettinger (1955) and Jordan Akustik (2005) Project / Construction Cost 36mCAD in each building (HVAC, electrical, audio booth, auditorium) Capacity originally 2731, now 2523
Stage Engineering Performance Solutions (no longer operating?) Website https://www.jubileeauditorium.com/
Calgary University Theatre – Craigie Hall
Formerly known as Calgary Hall
Opened 1965-6, upgraded 2016
Architect Alberta Dept. of Public Works Project / Construction Cost 4.4m CAD
Area 17,985 m²
Capacity 505
Website https://arts.ucalgary.ca/creative-performing-arts/
Camrose Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre – Cargill Theatre, Mayer Family Community Hall
Opened 2014
Architect BR2 Architecture
Theatre Consultant Richard Shick
Project / Construction Cost 17.5m CAD; design-and-build Area 39,000 sqft
Capacity 550 (Cargill) + 124 (Mayer)
Website www.camroselive.ca
Edmonton Citadel Theatre – Shoctor Theatre, Zeidler Hall, Rice Theatre, MacLab Theatre, Tucker Amphitheatre, Foote Theatre School
Opened 1976 Phase 1, 1984-6 Phase 2 Lee Pavilion, 1989 Phase 3 theatre school
Architect Barton Myers Project / Construction Cost 40m CAD
Capacity 658 Shoctor + 704 MacLab + 214 Zeidler + 173 Rice + 150 Tucker
Contacts Sydney Stuart (Director of Fund Development, 14 years) sstuart@citadeltheatre.com
Patrick (Technical Director 26 years)
+xx 780-428-2142
Website Citadeltheatre.com
Edmonton MacEwan University Allard Hall – Triffo Theatre, Betty Andrews Recital Hall, Black Box Studio
Opened 2017
Architect Bing Thom with Revery Architecture
Theatre Consultant Stages Consultants
Acoustician Stages Consultants and Criterion Acoustics (recording studios) Project / Construction Cost 220m CAD
Capacity 415 theatre + 219 recital hall + 140 studio
Website https://www.macewan.ca/c/documents/csgd_allard_allgender_map.pdf
Additional Venue Notes
Banff Centre – Jenny Belzberg Theatre, Margaret Greenham Theatre, Shaw Amphitheatre Opened Completed 1966, opened 1967
Architect ??? (1966); KPMB (2020)
Theatre Consultant ??? (1966); Charcoalblue (2020) Acoustician Bob Essert, Sound Space Vision (2020) Project / Construction Cost 525,000 CAD (1966); 7m CAD (2020) Area 7000sqft / 650sqm
Capacity 930 seats reduced to 638; 246 MG Theatre + 2000 Shaw
Contact Michael Code, Senior VP, Michael_Code@banffcentre.ca
- Jenny Belzberg was former Board Chair
- Original Eric Harvie Theatre: 930 seats, too wide, too deep, poor acoustic, high stage riser.
- Construction work began 2019
- Air supply changed to below seats
- Ceiling is the roof
- Surround sound system by Meyer Sound
- 8% of seats are accessible
- Broadcast wall behind row 6 with video and facilities panels
- Foyer extension proposed to left, into new atrium with in-the-round performance space
- Margaret Greenham Theatre: good for jazz
- Rehearsal and recording studio and classrooms
- Next door Music venue with 820 seat hall
- Artists (musician) studios in forest for music students
- Amphitheatre up to 2000 on grass.
Calgary Arts Commons – Martha Cohen Theatre, Max Bell Theatre, Jack Singer Concert Hall Previous Names: Calgary Performing Arts Centre, EPCOR,
Opened 1985
Architect Raines Finlayson Barrett & Partners (1981); KPMB, Tawaw Architecture Collective, and Hindle Architects (2022-24)
Theatre Consultant Theatre Projects (1978) and Fisher Dachs (2022-24) Acoustician Russell Johnson, ARTEC
Project / Construction Cost 79m CAD
Area 000 / 4-hectare block
Capacity 1797 (JSCH) + 750 (Max Bell) + 412 Martha Cohen
Contact Kelly
Brian
Greg (PM, Alberta Theatre Projects) Adam (TD, Theatre Calgary)
Website https://www.artscommons.ca/
Framed by Bird Building on NE corner Framed by Calgary Public on NW corner
Former 1911 Princess Theatre (cinema) on site prior to demolition
Martha Cohen Theatre
- Resident Company: Alberta Theatre Projects
- Seating 20.5”, VIP: 560mm x 1350mm
- Row Spacing: 3’ rostra
- Stage riser: 1076mm
- Width between balconies: 10531mm
- Stage wing 5.5m in addition to stage width, side dock 9.65m
- 2022 is last season of tungsten lighting
- Air replaced every 12 mins; 14A surgical quality filters, top-down air supply
Max Bell Theatre
- Resident Company: Theatre Calgary
- Proscenium: 43-44‘ / 13379mm
- Stage boxes angle in or out; 8’ further out each side
- Stage riser: 1050mm
- Seating 20.5”, 21”, 22”
- Rows 35.5”
Jack Singer Concert Hall
- Resident Company: Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
- Not available to view
Engineered Air Theatre
- Flat floor cabaret space, dead room, LED, reused balcony rails from Empress Theatre
- 2 floors down
Big Secret Theatre
- Fixed bar but flexible seating units and chairs; in-the-round/thrust
Calgary Decidedly Jazz Dance Centre
Opened 2016
Architect Janice Liebe for DIALOG
Theatre Consultant xxx
Acoustician xxx
Project / Construction Cost 42m CAD, 3.5m CAD land value Project Area 107,639 sq ft or 40,000sqft building
Capacity 230 (Studio 2)
Contact Cathy
Website https://www.decidedlyjazz.com/
- Charity, since 1970s – now at Kahanoff Centre linked to K-Hub building
- 20m CAD from DJD, 25-year lease, includes 4.5m reserve, 40% of infrastructure and all loose equipment (LED)
- Building owned by the Calgary Foundation; DJD retain 25% of sale value
- Obligation to 10% City subsidy: directed to graphic at top of building and on light show below.
- 6 floors above with matching floor plates, not-for-profit office space
- Decidedly Jazz Dance occupies 3 full floors and two mezzanines (fourth floor and transfer)
- Good dialogue with architects, based opposite
- Twisted first floor ‘like the body of a dancer’
- Priority acoustics: box-in-box construction
- Ground floor Community Living Room
- 7 studios: 1 ground, 2 theatre (1st and 2nd), 4, 5, 6 tap, 7 smallest
- Theatre: Hussey Seatway retractable seating unit, 230 seats, 10 mins to convert to flat floor; 2 gender specific dressing rooms for up to 22, control booth (had to raise floor for view) with openable windows, LED fittings.
- Wardrobe on 3rd mezzanine
- Community dance and Professional training (company of 12 dancers)
- Elevator to two levels of parkade but no stair!
Calgary Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Twinned with Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton
Opened 1957, 1962 orchestra pit lifts added, 1960s foyer extension, 2005 refurbishment, 2014-2018 (loading bay)
Architect Ronald Clark, Chief Architect of the Department of Public Works (1955) and Fred Valentine for Exhedra Architecture and Urban Planning (2005)
Theatre Consultant George C Izenour and xxx
Acousticians Dr. Vern O. Knudsen, Dr. Leo L. Beranek, Dr. Cyril M. Harris, Dr. T.
D. Northwood, and Dr. Michael Rettinger (1955) and Jordan Akustik (2005) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276283205_The_Alberta_Jubile
e_Halls_reborn_with_up-to-date_acoustics
Project / Construction Cost 36mCAD in each building (HVAC, electrical, audio booth, auditorium) Capacity originally 2731, now 2523
Stage Engineering Performance Solutions (no longer operating?)
Contacts Robert Armstrong, Robert.Armstrong@gov.ab.ca +xx 403-297-8000
Richard Hansen, richard.hansen@gove.ab.ca Craig Spallin, Sound, craig.spallin@gmail.com
Website https://www.jubileeauditorium.com/
Proscenium Width 59’10.5”
Proscenium Height 40’ masked to 22’4”
Stage Width approx. 120’
Stage Depth 45’
Stage Height to Grid 105’
Stage to Docking 100’
Flybars 59 sets @200lb/line
Stage Traps none
Seat Widths 20.25”, 21.25”
Row Spacing Stalls 34”
- Duplicate of Norther Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (perhaps 4 seats different)
- 2450 seats
- Sells out 70-80% of the time
- Surcharge to audience under 1,000
- 75,000CAD or 10% up to 15,000CAD
Acoustics
- Conceived as an opera house with reflective surfaces
- Now 95% reinforced sound
- Acoustic banners were conceived with murals but now plain
- Natural acoustic improved
- Reinforced acoustics problem
- HVAC reversed with new plenum under
- Original the ceiling was behind spot booth
- Ceiling removed and catwalks added
- Orchestra shell from original not stored on site but used for Calgary Philharmonic film pops
- 70 old lighting positions now 750-1100!
- Orchestra Pit updated 2019: 3 lifts by Gala, centre and two sides
- Low spotlight position from rear circle great for country shows to get light under the hats of the cowboys
- Now Followspot gondola position dropping down in the ceiling
- Balcony front replaced with curved face
- Upper Circle re-raked
- Anticipated live broadcasts anticipated in 1955 did not take off
- 300 vehicle parkade to rear
- The front has spectacular views from its elevated position overlooking city
- The side entrance is used more frequently as it faces the transport system and parking
- Link to neighbouring University of the Arts
Calgary University Theatre – Craigie Hall
Formerly known as Calgary Hall
Opened 1965-6, upgraded 2016
Architect Alberta Dept. of Public Works
Theatre Consultant xxx
Acoustician xxx
Project / Construction Cost 4.4m CAD Area 17,985 m²
Capacity 505
Website https://arts.ucalgary.ca/creative-performing-arts/theatre-services/rental- facilities/university- theatre#:~:text=The%20505%2Dseat%20University%20Theatre,and%20music%20performances%2C%20 and%20more.
Camrose Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre – Cargill Theatre, Mayer Family Community Hall
Opened 2014
Architect BR2 Architecture
Theatre Consultant Richard Shick
Acoustician xxx
Project / Construction Cost 17.5m CAD; design-and-build Area 39,000 sqft
Contractor Clark Builders
Capacity 550 (Cargill) + 124 (Mayer)
Contact: Nicholas Beach, General Manager, nbeach@camroselive.ca 4501-50th Street
Camrose, Alberta T4V 5J1 office 780 608-2925
Website www.camroselive.ca
- Nick appointed 9-10 months into construction, too late to advise
- City of Camrose Performing Arts Council and University of Alberta, Camrose
- 1000-1200 students vs. 140,000 inhabitants
- Green building – generates 68Ohms
- Licensed as a power plant (1 year process to achieve licence)
- FVPs on flat roof of auditorium and fly tower
- Programme of 40 activities including circus and dance; 300 events annually (2 nights per week average)
- University put on a show every other year
- Community company runs a show for 2 weeks
- Lobby is a visual arts gallery, features a sustainability wall, bar was omitted from design
- LED lighting throughout building (first complete installation in Alberta)
- Seat widths: 20” / 20.5” / 21” / 21.5” (192 to 25” in side stalls blocks)
- Row spacing: Stalls 39” down to 30” at rear; Circle: 41” x 19” risers
- Balcony front 11.16m (36’6”) from prosc;
- Second largest stage: 41’ x 27’ prosc, trimmed to 22’6”
- Stage: 44’ deep, 24 line sets, automated (no stage weights available); 75’ tower offering 65’ of flying
- Sound: line array proposal swapped for point source
- Variable acoustic: 4 hand drawn tracks at high level, 2 between bridges
- No orchestra shell (insufficient space), would only be used every other year
- Admin: only 7 desks (5 in initial build)
- Get-in lift is open to elements; 20’ pieces over-sail platform
- Second Space – Mayer Family Community Hall – 124 seats: set with three rows of cabaret tables to stage 6’ x 24’, back row on cocktail stools
- Moveable control desk on folding wagon/platform
- Basement washroom and dressing rooms,
Edmonton Citadel Theatre – Shoctor Theatre, Zeidler Hall, Rice Theatre, MacLab Theatre, Tucker Amphitheatre, Foote Theatre School
Opened 1976 Phase 1, 1984-6 Phase 2 Lee Pavilion, 1989 Phase 3 theatre school
Architect Barton Myers
Theatre Consultant xxx
Acoustician xxx
Project / Construction Cost 40m CAD Area xxx
Capacity 658 Shoctor + 704 MacLab + 214 Zeidler + 173 Rice + 150 Tucker
Contacts Sydney Stuart (Director of Fund Development, 14 years) sstuart@citadeltheatre.com
Patrick (Technical Director 26 years)
+xx 780-428-2142
Website Citadeltheatre.com
- Previous building: Southern Alberta Citadel Repertory on Jasper Avenue
- Independent not for profit
- Not much of original building has changed since 1976; ‘floating staircases’, a few leaks, original foyer carpet; some glazing filled in against development across the street
- Atrium scheduled as public park with tropical planting; water feature leaks and needs refurbishment
- Shoctor: 685 seats reduced to 658 with introduction of cross-aisle
- Row Spacing: 42” x 11” risers (1st 7”, 2nd 8”, 3rd 9”, 4th 11” then regular)
- Manual fly tower, 68’ to grid
- Proscenium 11.4m (37’ 5”)
- Dressing rooms refurbished ion 2020 for accessibility
- Tucker Amphitheatre for 150 used for weddings.
- MacLab in 5- storey-basement built in huge excavations; v. similar to Sheffield Crucible
- Row Spacing: 35” x 12” risers increasing to 15” risers at rear
- Seat Widths: 21.5”
- Mixed shows but amplified for years
- A Christmas Carol has been programmed for 20 years
- Zeidler Hall: originally concert hall now cinema: 22” seats (since 2010) on 40” rows on shallow rake
- Rice Theatre: refurbished 2012 for cabaret style performances, 11.6m between columns, 6.2m to catwalks
Edmonton MacEwan University Allard Hall – Triffo Theatre, Betty Andrews Recital Hall, Black Box Studio and teaching facilities
Opened 2017
Architect Bing Thom with Revery Architecture
Theatre Consultant Stages Consultants
Acoustician Stages Consultants and Criterion Acoustics (recording studios) Project / Construction Cost 220m CAD
Area 420,000sqft / 39,000sqm
Capacity 415 theatre + 219 recital hall + 140 studio
Contact Scott Spidell, spidells@macewan.ca
Geoff Bacchus, Operations Manager, bacchusg@macewan.ca 11110 - 104 Avenue NW
Website https://www.macewan.ca/c/documents/csgd_allard_allgender_map.pdf
- Arts School was formed in 1971, relocated to a downtown site: music, country, vocal, Tonmeister, recording, composing …
- Allard Hall has been in use 4-5 years
- Construction cost include 40mCAD of savings including the 5th floor fit-out
- Exterior originally conceived as a ‘swoopy’ piano keyboard effect
- Ground floor has rentable business units and a restaurant, but the rent was too high so these failed. The restaurant is being turned into a TV studio
- 2 major entrances, to the south and from the north parking
- Foyer with ‘nests’, used by band and choir, missing strong points
- Music Space
- Rehearsal Studios
- Studio Arts: theatre, performance and technology, arts and cultural management, dance as part of other programmes,
- Triffo Theatre: Brickhouse Arbors rigging system with shelves for weights at 8” centres; accessible loading gallery; access hatch in grid; 50’ to grid, 49’ to pipe, 12’ extra height on the fly tower (from the 5th floor) would have been valuable; fire curtain, stage 9.95m deep; no acoustic separation to rooms above; central trap 423-427, 323 + 45 + 45
- 5 lines per fly bars rather than the 6 that would have made the bars the correct width
- Black Box: galleried space 16085mm x 14334mm
- With fixed grid (but motors provided), pipes set within the technical balcony when they could have overlapped
- perimeter drape from gallery floor to studio floor, hanging within the gallery
- gallery at 3500mm with roof at 4820mm (overall height = 8320mm
- 3 large rehearsal halls plus additional of 4th floor
- Betty Andrews Recital Hall: 210 plus 9 seats behind the parapet for tutors; birch-faced ply, wheelchair positions by sound desk; rows 980mm x 7.5”
- University Logo is a representation of the 1980s gateway towers
- Music Atrium
- Large Ensemble Room, with grid and removable risers
- Workshop: metalwork, paintshop doubles as scene dock
- Basement: production facilities, teaching, recording and props storage
