The City of Edmonton has declared the Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre a municipal historic resource. The facility reopened this week after a five-year renovation, marking another milestone in its history, which began in 1970 as Coronation Pool and continued with its renaming in 2005 to honour its architect.
Peter Hemingway earned the prestigious Massey Medal in architecture for its design. In 2012, the building received the Prix du XXe siècle from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, which recognizes significant Canadian architectural achievements of the 20th century.
Peter Hemingway was a visionary in his time, and his influence on architectural design in the city was significant,” said David Johnston, a heritage planner with the City’s Heritage Conservation section. “Hemingway used the beauty and sometimes harshness of the prairie to influence his designs. That’s reflected in the way Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre blends into the landscape but also stands out as a unique structure.”
The pool building evokes the Expressionist style of modern architecture. Its sweeping roofline, reminiscent of a tent structure over the pool, reflects the transition from the Rocky Mountains to the prairies’ foothills and flatlands. The roof is clad in copper, and the interior structure is supported by a suspension cable system anchored to eight large concrete pillars on the north and south sides of the building.
The building closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 public health restrictions. Rehabilitation work began in fall 2021 and was completed in late 2025. The project included upgrades to its mechanical, structural and electrical systems, as well as the pool basin. The work also replaced the glass curtain wall and lighting, along with the addition of a cold plunge pool and an elevator.
On January 27, Hemingway’s children, Curtis and Mistaya, said the family is pleased the aquatic centre has reopened. “Thank you to all the people that stood for this building, cared for it, rebuilt it and brought it back. And thank you for honouring our father’s work by keeping it alive, not as a monument, but as a living place full of people, still fulfilling its original purpose as a civic swimming pool. Today we rededicate more than a building: we rededicate a civic belief that this city can be brave in what it builds, and generous in who it serves.”
The facility is the 195th heritage designation approved by Edmonton City Council since the program began in 1985. The City’s heritage planning team is developing a city-wide Heritage Places Strategy to replace the Historic Resource Management Plan, broaden Edmonton’s historical perspective, and address climate adaptation and heritage preservation.”
