Diamond + Schmitt opens first building in Banff Centre revamp

A new $20-million dining centre designed by internationally acclaimed architectural firm Diamond + Schmitt opened Friday at the Banff Centre in Alberta.

It is the first phase of an ambitious revitalization of the site, home to an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference facility.

Jack Diamond, the award-winning architect behind the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, has designed a master plan for the Banff Centre, set amid the Rocky Mountains.

In the first phase of the expansion, Diamond + Schmitt has added two storeys to the Sally Borden Building, the central sport and recreational facility at the centre, to create a communal area where artists and cultural leaders can meet and exchange ideas over a meal.

It includes a 125-seat fine dining area and a 350-seat market-style dining hall, both with views of the mountains and the Bow Valley.

Theexpansion has been constructed out of local wood and Rundle stone.

As part of the master plan, indigenous building materials are to be used throughout the site to create a more unified look to the Banff Centre campus.

The plan also calls for sustainable elements, including wood from forests that are managed to proper environmental standards, low-emitting materials and energy efficient automation systems.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the dining centre on Friday ahead of a gala celebration at the Banff Centre this weekend.

Construction begins this fall on a new $40-million Learning Centre with meeting rooms, innovative rehearsal and performance spaces, informal gallery areas and arevamped library and archives.

The design plan includes measures to contain erosion on the natural site and improve pedestrian movement around the Banff campus.

The second phase of the project will feature major improvements to the theatre complex, thebuilding of two new heritage chalets, creation of an aboriginal program space and expansion of the Leighton Studios.