After decades of planning and three years of construction, the landmark BMO Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary has opened its doors. The expansion adds 565,000 square feet, pushing the total building footprint to more than 1 million square feet.
The venue is now the largest conference facility in Western Canada, offering more than 100,000 square feet of new exhibition space, 38 new meeting rooms, and two new ballrooms – the largest in the province. The Tier 1 world-class convention destination will allow the city to compete for larger meetings, conferences and convention business, attracting national and international visitors.
Located in the heart of the emerging Culture + Entertainment District, the scale and impressive architectural details of the centre make it a visually stunning new landmark.
“With an increased ability to compete for world-class conventions and meetings thanks to the expanded BMO Centre, Calgary’s reputation on the global stage cannot be understated,” says Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “The expanded BMO Centre is unique to Calgary, unique to the Calgary Stampede and unique to the industry. This is an architectural icon as well as a community gathering place, and Calgarians can be proud that we built this second-to-none facility right here in the heart of The Culture + Entertainment District.”
The building, designed by leading design team Stantec, Populous and S2 Architecture, represents the next generation of convention facilities, one that promises best-in-class guest experience, boasts precedent setting design architecture, and serves as a gathering place for convention attendees and the local community alike.
“When we began design with our partners in 2019, we asked ourselves how we could design a facility that pushes the boundaries of convention centre design and experience, and every decision we made from that point on was with that goal in mind,” said Kate Thompson, president and CEO of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, development manager for the project. “CMLC is incredibly proud to have delivered this project on time and on budget, and to have delivered on the world-class promise we and our partners set out to achieve.”
The three-level building offers expansive views through floor-to-ceiling windows and boasts a distinctive copper-coloured classing and a sweeping roofline with a 170-foot curved canopy that stretches over the outdoor plaza.
One of the convention centre’s most striking features is the 25,000 square foot central gathering space dubbed The Exchange. It is anchored by Canada’s largest indoor fireplace, a dramatic two storey, copper and blackened steel piece of art.
Interior spaces are bright, open and offer flexible ballrooms and meeting rooms. Meeting rooms are organized into self-contained neighbourhoods with dedicated amenities such as restrooms, breakout areas, pantries, and back-of-house facilities.
PCL Construction broke ground in 2021 and reached substantial completion in March 2024. Despite the scale and complexities of the project and the global pandemic, the centre came in on time and on budget. According to CMLC, the project was able to avoid many of the supply chain and inflationary issues through well-timed tendering cycles.
“It’s a unique structure with complex architectural geometry, which made it fun to work on. The entire project team felt a huge sense of pride over the completion of this iconic new landmark building,” says Keith Bowers, PCL construction manager. “I’m proud of our PCL team and the broader team for what we achieved together.”
During peak construction, close to 600 workers were on site, six days a week. Nearly 5,000 workers put in 2 million hours to complete construction of the facility.
Among the many challenges on this complex project were a demanding schedule, a tight downtown site and integrating the expansion into the existing structure. Maintaining the operation and access of the BMO Centre for events during construction was also a priority.
The BMO Centre has been Calgary’s primary venue for consumer and trade shows, special events, meetings and conferences since its opening in 1982. The venue has undergone two major expansions since its opening, in 2000 and again in 2009. This current expansion ensures Calgary has a world-class convention centre that serves the community and attracts important investment and tourism dollars.
The centre has already hosted its first event and has more than 500 conventions and events booked in the space as far as 2030. The BMO Centre is expected to generate $267 million annually.
