Bruce Kuwabara to discuss Contemporary Calgary at National Trust Conference

October 22, 2025

On October 25, KPMB founding partner Bruce Kuwabara will discuss the Contemporary Calgary project at the National Trust Conference in Halifax — Canada’s largest conference dedicated to heritage conservation. During the two-day event, Kuwabara will join a panel exploring how some of Canada’s most iconic structures are being reinvented to meet new social and urban needs.  

Alongside Contemporary Calgary CEO David Leinster, Kuwabara will discuss how the Centennial Planetarium — Calgary’s foremost example of Brutalist architecture, constructed in 1967 for Canada’s Centennial — is being sensitively transformed into a new destination for art and a cultural anchor for the city’s West End.  

The project, designed by KPMB in association with GGA-Architecture, entails an architectural addition, a renovation of the Brutalist structure, and new landscaped public spaces. Together, these interventions will address the specialized needs of a 21st century art gallery, improve energy efficiency, and rectify longstanding barriers to access — all while honouring the building’s original design intent.

One of the most transformative aspects of the new design is the elimination of accessibility issues created by its fragmented ground floor. When completed, all ground-level programming will align with a nearby sidewalk. Further, a series of landscaped public spaces designed by PFS Studio will create a pedestrian arc that reconnects the site to the Bow River to the north.  

The panel will be moderated by James Maddigan of Architecture49 and feature Paul Sapounzi of +VG Architects, R.J. McCulloch of Luxton, and Vivian Manasc of Reimagine Architects. 

Event details 

Event: National Trust Conference
Panel: “Crucial Lessons from Big Projects: Reimagining, Humanizing, and Advocating for Institutional Buildings”
Date & Time: October 25, 10:30 AM – 12 PM
Location: Halifax Convention Centre, Halifax, NS

Learn more about “Crucial Lessons from Big Projects: Reimagining, Humanizing, and Advocating for Institutional Buildings”.