Vertical construction is now underway on the 170,000-square-foot expansion of Calgary’s premier performing arts centre.

Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, the Werklund Centre and the City of Calgary marked the start of construction on the Werklund Centre Transformation Expansion’s theatre box, the project’s first phase of vertical construction and a major step toward delivering a new performance venue in downtown Calgary.

“CMLC and our partners are thrilled by the progress happening on-site, behind the hoarding, on the WCT Expansion,” said Kate Thompson, president and CEO of CMLC, the development manager for the project. “Since construction began in January 2025, the project team has completed critical foundational work, including site excavation, secant wall construction, building foundations, and elevator shafts. With the 1,000-seat theatre box rising to ground level, Calgarians can begin to see the physical form of a project that will have a lasting impact on our downtown and city’s cultural landscape.”

The 170,000-sf expansion will include two new theatres: the 1,000-seat Osten-Victor Playhouse and a 200-seat studio theatre. Both venues will be built using specialized construction techniques unique to performance spaces.

Unlike conventional buildings, theatre construction requires thicker walls, acoustic separation and vibration isolation systems to support live performances. The theatres are designed as a box-within-a-box, engineered to limit noise and structural movement while ensuring optimal acoustic conditions, according to CMLC. The design also isolates the venues from the surrounding downtown environment and the nearby C-Train line.

With the foundations of the 1,000-seat theatre box now complete, the project is moving from underground work to specialized structural construction.

“The state-of-the-art experience Calgarians will have inside the Osten-Victor Playhouse is made possible by the careful construction of its exterior shell, designed to shield the theatre from the noise and vibration of the bustling city that surrounds it,” said Alex Sarian, president and CEO of the Werklund Centre. “The late Al Osten and Buddy Victor believed in the power of the arts to bring people together and make our communities more loving and compassionate. To witness their legacy take shape in downtown Calgary is increasingly meaningful and moving.”

The Werklund Centre transformation and the adjacent Olympic Plaza Transformation form a key part of city hall’s Downtown Strategy, aimed at boosting vibrancy, economic activity and cultural investment in the city’s core. Together, the projects will create a connected cultural campus supporting year-round programming and community gatherings.

“Downtown is the economic and cultural heart of our city,” said Thom Mahler, director of the Downtown Strategy at the City of Calgary. “Calgary needs a strong core to grow sustainably, and the Werklund Centre and Olympic Plaza transformation projects are a catalyst in creating a vibrant and active city centre. This milestone demonstrates how we can deliver complex municipal projects through strategic planning and collaboration to support downtown’s revitalization and Calgary’s broader cultural ecosystem.”

The first phase of the Werklund Centre transformation — the 170,000-sf expansion — is currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2028. Construction on the Olympic Plaza transformation is slated to begin in earnest in 2026, with completion anticipated in 2028 alongside the expansion.

Design work is also progressing on the second phase of the Werklund Centre transformation, which will modernize the existing facility. Construction on that phase will begin once funding is secured.

The Werklund Centre and Olympic Plaza transformation projects are funded by the Alberta government, the city and Dave Werklund and family. The expansion is designed by KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects and Tawaw Architecture Collective, with project management by Colliers Project Leaders and construction led by EllisDon.

The $660-million performing arts centre redevelopment project is also slated to include several commercial spaces