Royal Alberta Museum - Original Site Possible Uses
 

Thought I would start a new thread. I haven't heard or seen much in the way of possible future uses for the Glenora museum site. Any thoughts, ideas, innovative or creative ways to use or redevelop the site?
I would be interested to hear your thoughts :shrug:

WalMart :runaway:

I suppose that would be creative.

City Museum... One with a Skyline/Skyscraper model room... I found the actual Skyscraper Museum in New York lacklustre when I went two years ago...

We went sledding/tobogganing on the hill behind the museum there one night. So fast. So crazy.

I'm thinking toboggan hill like in Quebec city as part of the uses with outdoor hockey rinks. I'm just not sure what you do with the building itself. Small business incubator for artisans and specialty foods to continue the art walk of 124th kind of thing?

I'm also thinking outdoor gardens, but that's a direct compete with Muttart.

condos!

On the serious side: Government House is there - so the old museum is best left as a public venue. I don't think it would be suitable for a City Museum as we need to build synergies with the arts area downtown. I think the museum could be re-purposed as a public conference centre for GoA and that would keep it within the Provincial realm and pocket book.

This is what I thought: Royal Roads University in Victoria is a really cool and unique university that offers programs, mostly graduate degrees and executive training, for working professionals. It is a historic site because of the Hatley castle and after it was bought by the province (or the feds) it was turned into a military college and has since been turned into a full university. The museum site kind of reminds me of the same setting. The museum building is set up well to be converted into a school. There is a theatre, cafeteria, ... I could see Athabasca or maybe the province can set up a new University at the location. Government House can still retain its use/function.

I believe (from a very reliable source) that the plan is remove the building and restore the lands to be part of the government house grounds

^i'd be fine with that, restore some of its dignity and provide the area a new public grounds.

My serious answers:
- community hall for Glenora neighborhood
- entertainment complex c/w 1 or 2 live music venues and restaurant
- conference centre
- government house, revert current government house back to Lt Gov residence

I like the museum building, so I would like to see at least part of it stay. Conference centre works, the theatre can stay a theatre, maybe the old archives wing comes down.

Without the museum most of the parking is unnecessary, so that will be a huge bonus to the site if the pavement becomes landscape.

It would a shame to lose the old museum building. It's got iconic archtectural features from its era. Turn it into a school of higher learning, but don't lose the look/feel.

And for the love of all things holy, don't turn it into a museum with any of the political no-fly-zones like that human rights thing built in Winnipeg.

New home for Edmonton School of Design and Architecture

that might be a reach so i'd suggest conference and arts centre. I'd like to see it stay there.

Yeah, I'd be sad to lose the building. It's a great modernist design in a good location... Some sort of cultural venue would be ideal...

The problem is that the building requires substantial capital investment to bring it up to a useable standard. Roof, electrical, mechanical, envelope, life safety are all shot, plus I understand there's been significant infiltration, so probably a big remediation job as well

Who's to say what the new government might do though

I'm not saying that it's in tip-top shape, but significant infiltration for an archive/collections space may be negligible for other uses. A new roof isn't the end of the world, and whatever it becomes it would need significant renovations that would require massive changes to the mechanical and electrical systems no matter what shape they're in.

I agree the photos of the old grounds were quite spectacular. And since there is a new caucus room in the Fed the GH rooms can be restored. The current LG thought it would be nice to see it restored as a residence.

This would be an amazing idea. You've got this classic 60's architecture, a government house that was built before 1920... add a little money into it and tack on some addition that represents Architecture/design for 2000~; and you have something interesting.

Even-so-much as the grounds size that could accommodate an ever-changing public space showcasing trends in outdoor design... you could even study the usage statistics between each type of design; what works and what doesn't.

Wish I had a kerbillion dollars, that's what I'd do.

The clowns of the circus should have left the museum right where it stands, the area is quiet and beautiful, now is going to in downtown, where there is not parking and if you find one it is expensive. What will be the next move? Fort Edmonton park to downtown also?