Contemporary Calgary receives $40M for transformation project
Posted Jul 4, 2026 1:30 pm.
The federal government announced a $40 million investment for Contemporary Calgary’s Centennial Planetarium Transformation project Friday.
Funding will go to renovating the existing building and will include the country’s very first LED dome dedicated to visual arts.
“We’ll start by building a new entrance pavilion just on the other side of that wall, new education spaces, galleries, a rooftop gathering space, and the restoration of this magnificent dome,” said Contemporary Calgary CEO David Leinster in his announcement.
The pavilion entrance will be at street level, allowing guests to see into the building. There is expected to be a café and gift shop that can be accessed without admission.
There will also be an education and gallery wing consisting of three floors. The first floor will be an educational space, the second floor will house galleries that will be visible from the exterior of the building, and the third floor will include a dedicated event space that contributes to Contemporary Calgary’s financial sustainability.
Other additions include a sculpture park and garden, which will connect the community and river pathways. The park will also allow for better stormwater management and “reintroduce native plants to the site.”
Canadian Minister of Identity and Culture Marc Miller says it’s about ensuring the future of art and artists in Calgary and Alberta.
“We’ll bring kids and inspire them the way I was inspired coming here to see the planetarium,” he told CityNews.
“This is a building that is a product of its time, and it needed a freshen-up, and these guys have had a great vision for building art and building a space that will actually attract people.”
Miller adds that the size of the crowd at the announcement is a testament to how much the city cares for the project.
“This is Stampede Week, so it could’ve been just a few stray cats, but we had about 400 people, which was really amazing,” he said.
“It shows people’s passion for arts and culture.”
The federal government’s investment comes from the Build Communities Strong Fund. The total budget for this phase of the project is $160 million.
