Harrison McCain Pavilion wins Lieutenant Governor Award of Excellence

January 26, 2026

The Harrison McCain Pavilion at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery has won the Lieutenant Governor Award of Excellence in Architecture from the Architects’ Association of New Brunswick.  

On January 22, KPMB founding partner Shirley Blumberg accepted the honour at the annual awards ceremony in Fredericton. The awards program recognizes excellence in architectural design across the province and aims to promote the public’s appreciation for the role of architecture in everyday life. 

The Harrison McCain Pavilion, completed in 2022, was conceived as the final phase of the historic Beaverbrook Art Gallery’s expansion in Fredericton. The project mandate was to create an inclusive and accessible civic gateway that would both strengthen the gallery’s architectural identity and redefine its role as a cultural and civic hub within the city.  

Sited between the Saint John/Wolastoq River and Queen Street, the Pavilion’s concave façade — inspired by Fredericton’s own heritage architecture, including its collection of porches, loggias, and civic facades — mirrors the parallel curves of the river and main street.

A promenade of steps and ramps gently rises from Queen Street, improving accessibility by bridging the street to the gallery, which sits elevated above a floodplain. Balancing simplicity with a sensitivity to light, shadow, and rhythm, the Pavilion’s colonnade acts as a brise-soleil, with its columns radiating outward to create a kinetic quality. 

Inside, the Pavilion is an efficient, multi-functional space open to all free of charge. It houses rotating art exhibitions and community events, alongside reception and ticketing, a café, fireplace seating, and a shop. Reflecting evolving social values, it is designed as both a cultural institution and civic commons — offering spaces for not only exhibiting art, but gathering, storytelling, and rest. 

(Lead image: Doublespace Photography)