National Mountain Centre

Visualizations: Saucier + Perrotte architects

In 2002, a group of committed mountain enthusiasts based in the Canadian Rockies came together with a vision to create a national centre devoted to celebrating, understanding and better experiencing our mountains. This founding board of the National Mountain Centre has spent several years expanding and articulating the vision for the Centre, understanding that it could serve a crucial role in interpreting the nature, history, culture, science and sport of Canada’s mountains and in engaging the public in an exploration of this rich heritage.

Located in Canmore, Alberta, north of the Trans-Canada highway at the gateway to Banff National Park, the NMC will advocate individual and collective responsibility for mountain resources, while advancing the economic and environmental well-being of the western mountain region through the promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism.

One of Western Canada’s great icons, the NMC becomes a preeminent tourist destination attracting visitors from all walks of life.

The Centre will consist of recreational, commercial and public spaces with features such as a world-class competitive climbing wall, permanent and temporary exhibits, research, meeting facilities, and state-of-the-art multimedia presentation theatres.

The architectural concept for the NMC is inspired by geological strata – layers of rock are pulled apart to create inhabitable spaces that evoke the texture and materiality of the mountains, while strategically allowing dramatic views of the surrounding landscape throughout the visitor experience. The spaces within the solid strata make possible activities requiring the control of the transmission of light and sound. Visitors will have a spatial experience analogous to that of a mountain hike. The exhibitions are organized along a gently sloping route that winds through the Centre and around the central climbing wall, affording a continuous promenade for visitors to peruse the displayed artefacts and absorb the vistas to the mountains. The mountains themselves become a permanent exhibit with distinct views framed by the spaces between the Centre’s strata.

In collaboration with Marc Boutin Architects.