Unlocking the vault: Glenbow Museum’s bold new chapter

Once called “a vault” for its imposing design and limited accessibility, Calgary’s Glenbow Museum is on the cusp of a dramatic transformation. With thick concrete walls, minimal windows and a barely noticeable entrance, the museum’s brutalist architecture stood in stark contrast to the vibrant stories housed within. Now, a $205-million renovation aims to bring those stories – and the building itself – into the light.

The imposing eight-storey structure, which has been closed since 2021 and opened in 1976, wasn’t initially built as a tourist destination – but as a workplace for conservationists and a controlled environment to store the museum’s collection, says Glenbow president and CEO Nicholas Bell.