MacEwan University Allard Hall

Few Canadian universities can boast a learning environment as grand as MacEwan’s Allard Hall. The new centre for the arts features a soaring central atrium with glass-encased dance and rehearsal studios that seem suspended in mid-air. Staggered floor plates and playfully-angled pedestrian bridges – soaked in sunlight – give the illusion that the whole lobby is a moveable puzzle. It’s a visually captivating and welcoming space for both students and the public.

Advantageously located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, the five-storey building has two theatres (a large horseshoe-shaped proscenium theatre and a smaller black box theatre), as well as an intimate art gallery, professional recording studio, and a recital hall with state-of-the-art acoustics.

Fast + Epp developed a structural concept using primarily reinforced concrete (with spans of up to 66ft in some areas) and a steel roof structure. While budget constraints lead to the redesign of some programming components part-way through construction, the design team pulled together and ultimately delivered the project under the anticipated budget.