Above ground construction is underway on the 170,000 sq. ft. Werklund Centre Transformation (WCT) Expansion, marking a meaningful step toward delivering a new, world-class 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, 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.”
Two new theatres will be built in the 170,000 sq. ft. Werklund Centre Transformation Expansion – the 1,000-seat Osten-Victor Playhouse and a 200-seat studio theatre. Both are being constructed using specialized building techniques unique to performance spaces.
With the foundations of the 1,000-seat theatre box complete and vertical construction underway, the project is transitioning from highly critical underground work to specialized structural construction.
The two-phased Werklund Centre Transformation and the adjacent Olympic Plaza Transformation (OPT) are a vital component of The City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy, supporting increased vibrancy, economic activity, and cultural investment in the city’s core. Together these projects will create a connected cultural campus that supports year-round programming and community gathering under Werklund Centre’s stewardship.
The first phase of WCT is under construction and anticipated to be completed in 2028. Construction on the Olympic Plaza Transformation will begin in 2026, and is anticipated to be completed in 2028 alongside the Expansion. Design is progressing on the second phase of WCT – the modernization of the existing Werklund Centre facility – and construction will begin once funding is secured.
The WCT project team includes KPMB Architects, Hindle Architects and Tawaw Architecture Collective and construction manager EllisDon.
