Ontario Construction News staff writer
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), Werklund Centre and The City of Calgary broke ground last week on the Olympic Plaza Transformation project (OPT), a major milestone for the revitalization of the most well-known public spaces.
While construction has been underway on the Werklund Centre Transformation (WCT) Expansion on the west end of the site since January 2025, today’s announcement officially marks the start of construction on the plaza itself.
“CMLC and our partners are thrilled to begin construction on such an important project in the heart of our city,” said Kate Thompson, president & CEO of CMLC. “Today marks the next chapter of this beloved but aging urban plaza, one where we see the space transformed into a modern, vibrant and inclusive space.
“We look forward to building on the momentum of our downtown’s revitalization as we realize this exciting new era for Calgary’s Olympic Plaza.”
EllisDon is the construction manager, and the project team includes:
- gh3* Architecture – Prime Design Consultant
- CCxA Landscape Architecture & Urban Design – Prime Design Consultant
- Belleville Placemaking – Prime Design Consultant
- Colliers Project Leaders – Project Manager
- AECOM – Civil Engineering & Planning
Construction on the plaza officially is underway, following demolition and site preparation that started after the plaza closed in January 2025..
OPT, along with the Werklund Centre Transformation (WCT) Expansion and future modernization of the existing Werklund Centre facility, is part of a plan for two key blocks of Calgary’s downtown.
“The Olympic Plaza Transformation project is fundamental to our vision for the future of the Werklund Centre campus and for downtown Calgary more broadly,” said Alex Sarian, President & CEO of Werklund Centre. “What excites us most is the opportunity to broaden the definition of what a cultural experience can be: extending creativity, performance, learning, celebration, and community gathering beyond our walls and into the public realm.”
The transformed Olympic Plaza will feature a new pavilion with a food and beverage space and public washrooms on its eastern edge, and a new green space on the northern edge. The plaza will be bordered on the west by the first phase of the Werklund Centre Transformation, the WCT Expansion, a new 170,000 square foot theatre facility currently under construction, which houses the Osten-Victor Playhouse, and the 200-seat studio theatre.
The revitalized plaza will be an accessible space with flexibility and infrastructure to support a range of day-to-day uses as a public gathering space as well as markets, programs, major events of up to 5,000 people and, in the winter, a skating rink.
OPT was designed by design team gh3 Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture; CCxA Landscape Architecture and Urban Design; and Belleville Placemaking, and is being delivered by project manager Colliers and construction manager EllisDon.
Elements from the plaza’s Olympic legacy will be woven into the plaza’s design, including the integration of one of Calgary’s 1988 Olympic cauldrons and the Latin phrase “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Faster, Higher, Stronger) incorporated onto the arches on the plaza’s north edge. A 12-metre-tall central feature will also reflect shape of the ‘sunflake’, the official emblem of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games.
Both projects are part of a generational investment in Calgary’s premiere performing arts centre, and a vital component of The City of Calgary’s downtown revitalization strategy. Efforts are underway to secure funding required for the final phase of the campus transformation.
