Art Gallery of Albert | Architectural Study
I’ve always found the Edmonton Art Gallery of Albert a fascinating building. How could one not? If you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s a must https://www.youraga.ca/!
In my day to day work, I generally photograph the overall project to show what the construction company has created. Typically, I don’t have the opportunity to zoom in on the details of the building unless the space calls for it and time permits.
So for this Architectural Study, I decided to focus on capturing interesting compositions of the material used, the shape and light on the building. The gallery wan’t open the day I was there so I was unable to get any interior shots. These images were also taken on two different days, hence the clouds on some and not on the others.
Here’s some info I found about the building:
Design Architect: Randall Stout Architects (Los Angeles-based firm led by Randall Stout). Randall Stout May 5 1958 - July 11 2014.
Client / Owner: Art Gallery of Alberta (with funding support from the Government of Alberta and private donors).
General Contractor / Construction Manager: Ledcor Construction
Design Selection: Randall Stout’s design was chosen through an international competition in September/October 2005.
Construction Period: Approximately 2007–2009
Completion: November 2009 (structural and envelope completion); official public opening in January 2010.
Project Budget: Originally estimated at around $48 million; final cost approximately $88 million (some sources cite $66–88 million depending on scope).
Key Features: The project was a major renovation and expansion of the original 1968/1969 Brutalist building (designed by Donald G. Bittorf), nearly doubling the gallery’s size to about 85,000 square feet while adding the signature curvilinear stainless-steel “ribbon” canopy and envelope.
Other Collaborators: Structural engineering by firms including RJC Engineers and DeSimone Consulting Engineers; metal fabrication and envelope work involved specialists such as Zahner and Flynn Canada.
Looking to see how this translates across real projects? Browse recent architectural, commercial, and corporate photography work capturing buildings, spaces, and the teams behind them.
