At the Arena: Reviewing the architectural design of Scotia Place

Welcome to At the Arena. This segment throughout the offseason will highlight and review the design outlined for Scotia Place, the new home of the Calgary Flames.

Each exploration will address a different aspect of the design. Where did the Flames hit it out of the park, and where did they flat-out miss?

The Saddledome is one of the most unique and eye-catching venues in the NHL from the exterior. The reversed hyperbolic parabola-shaped roof designed by architect Barry Graham was inspired by the Scandinavium, a sporting venue in Sweden built in 1971. The shape of the roof allows for an unobstructed view as it doesn’t require any pillars.

Despite its saddle-like shape that has since been a trademark of Calgary and its western ties, Graham and his team never made the connection. It wasn’t until the designs were unveiled to the public that the historic connection was made. With a whopping 58% of naming contest entries containing the word “saddle,” it was an immediate hit in Calgary.

Although the eventual demolition of the Saddledome will erase a landmark from Calgary, the renderings of Scotia Place offer a lot of promise aesthetically. Inspired by Calgary, its history, and the Indigenous land it resides on, Scotia Place could be one of the most modern and eye-catching venues in the league come 2027. With that being said, let’s dive into some details.

Scotia Place architectural design

Renderings always look better than reality but Scotia Place will turn heads, to say the least. The four sacred elements of nature are the main design theme of the Calgary Event Centre (CEC) Block. Focussed on creating a new gathering place in Calgary, the design process of Scotia Place involved an Indigenous Design Committee comprised of Treaty Seven First Nations, Métis Nations of Alberta and the Calgary Urban Indigenous Community. The committee consulted throughout the design process on the best ways to represent Indigenous culture and storytelling within the new venue.

The core Indigenous design elements were outlined in the latest CEC Design Brief document: the four sacred elements of nature—fire, water, land, and air; the home fire—connecting community; rooted in the land—an ancestral place; a gathering place at the confluence of two rivers; and “Come in, there is room”—a space for everyone.

The home fire will burn outside Scotia Place and will also be represented by the cauldron (pictured below). It is a place to gather, stay warm and exchange stories. The most noticeable element of the new venue will utilize extruded reflective metallic silver panels will wrapping every side of Scotia Place. The rippled texture of the facade is reminiscent of a flame and will reflect exterior lighting to emit an orange glow that will certainly be the staple of the venue.

Rooted in the land aims to reflect southern Alberta’s landscape, reflecting the transition from mountains to the plains. Native plants will be utilized on the block to reflect this. Furthermore, multiple slopes can be seen in the structure of Scotia Place, representing the shift from mountain ranges to prairie.

Gathering at the confluence of two rivers is visually represented on the south side of the building on the street. The “compliment zone” is an equitable space that will be utilized in outdoor programming for major events.

Digital and permanent Indigenous art will be featured on the exterior of the parkade while welcomes in multiple Indigenous languages will be featured on key entrances of the building to further reflect the Indigenous cultures of Alberta.

Further key design elements reflecting the City of Calgary’s history utilize heritage resource integration. The Stephenson & Co. Grocers building and the Stampede Elm will be featured in the CEC block. Stephenson & Co. Grocers was originally built in 1911 sitting on the corner of 13th Ave and 5th Street, one of the last symbols of Calgary’s historic Victoria Park neighbourhood.

The building’s facade will be utilized for a new food hall located on the 12th Ave side of the CEC Block, making sure to preserve its old hand-painted sign.

The Stampede Elm sat at the heart of CEC Block’s building site for 125 years before being removed in April 2024. Although the city had plans to relocate the tree, it was determined it would not survive. Despite multiple failed attempts to relocate the tree, seed harvesting and propagation in partnership with the University of Calgary has already been successful. Furthermore, wood from the elm will be utilized for interior design elements and the legacy of the tree older than stampede grounds will live on through digital commemoration.

Along with its Indigenous and historic design elements, Scotia Place’s split-level design allows for some really interesting uses of form and geometry. With the addition of a full-length video board and a rooftop patio, you have an entire block that screams “come on in” and reflects the energy of the city.

The architectural design of Scotia Place and CEC Block has been carefully thought out by HOK Architecture and the various design committees involved. Its focus on Indigenous culture, Calgary’s history and modern architecture, all combine to create a beautiful venue.

What’s the rest of the league doing?

Event centres are getting more and more flashy. Everyone’s seen The Sphere in Las Vegas which hosted the 2024 NHL Draft. With concerts, movies and eventually the UFC making an appearance at the Sphere, live viewing experiences have never been better. While an arena and a giant LED ball in the desert don’t have much in common, curb appeal is very important in modern venues.

Bridgestone Arena in Nashville has an amazing architectural design with an under-lit domed roof, glass facade and a 22-story radio tower. Combine that with the lights of Broadway and you’ve got quite the spectacle.

Rogers Place opened in 2016 and pushed the envelope for architecture in the NHL. Despite its lack of contrast, the futuristic design is one of the most unique in the league.

Headed back to Vegas, T-Mobile Arena is one of the most state-of-the-art venues in the NHL. Also opening in 2016, the sci-fi-like metallic curvature and glass material combine with a massive LED screen to create an immediate landmark.

Finishing it off with one of the most iconic venues in the world, Madison Square Garden. The circular venue was built in 1965 and is the fourth iteration of MSG. The Manhattan staple has undergone two renovations. One in 1991 for $200 million and another overhaul after the current owner, James Dolan, spent $1 billion to renovate from 2011–13.

A new Calgary landmark

CEC Block looks to check every box you’d want in its exterior design and drastically improves on the renderings fans were seeing during the initial arena deal. Although Calgary will lose a piece of its history with the demolition of the Saddledome, Scotia Place will turn a new leaf in the city and provide an eye-catching community hub. Clearly, the thought process that has gone into this building is first-class.

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