ICE District Block IJ | ?m | ?s | ICE District Prop. | Next Architecture

buildings said:
^don't know if you've heard of the Hawrelak Park amphitheatre?
Click to expand...
You're thinking small. The amphitheatre at Hawrelak Park is a nice tent but it doesn't have the scale to establish the city as a center for live outdoor performances. You have Rogers. the Art Gallery of Alberta, Royal Alberta Museum, Citadel, Winspear, and Commonweath Stadium. Those are all venues that can compete for attendees and generate economic activity for the city. Most of them cann't compete on the world stage but they are venues that can hold their own against the venues in similar sized cities. The Hawrelak amphitheatre? Yea, it's a nice but that's all. It's not going to get the city anywhere.

So what is Edmonton going to do with the money that it gets from the Province to even things up with Calgary for the infrastructure money that Calgary got to build its new arena. A Vancouver class ampitheatre wouldn't be bad. Hopefully Edmonton will do something more than knock down Northlands Coliseum and fix the pot holes in the north bound left hand lane on 156 Street between Stoney Plain Road and the Yellowhead Trail.
 
OH? I didn't know this project was to establish the city as a center for live outdoor performance. No one is asking for this except you, sir or madam. Just how far out of towner are you? Not debating apples and oranges with you. May I suggest you begin your own thread on the topic of the city's need for a new amphitheatre.
 
Last edited:
Oh ok buildings. I didn't know that you were the content moderator of this thread. Does your suggestion apply to everybody or just me?
 
Last edited:
Out of Towner said:
You're thinking small. The amphitheatre at Hawrelak Park is a nice tent but it doesn't have the scale to establish the city as a center for live outdoor performances. You have Rogers. the Art Gallery of Alberta, Royal Alberta Museum, Citadel, Winspear, and Commonweath Stadium. Those are all venues that can compete for attendees and generate economic activity for the city. Most of them cann't compete on the world stage but they are venues that can hold their own against the venues in similar sized cities. The Hawrelak amphitheatre? Yea, it's a nice but that's all. It's not going to get the city anywhere.

So what is Edmonton going to do with the money that it gets from the Province to even things up with Calgary for the infrastructure money that Calgary got to build its new arena. A Vancouver class ampitheatre wouldn't be bad. Hopefully Edmonton will do something more than knock down Northlands Coliseum and fix the pot holes in the north bound left hand lane on 156 Street between Stoney Plain Road and the Yellowhead Trail.
Click to expand...
Nothing against the existing small amphitheatre at Hawrelak park or the park itself. Although I have lived here many years, I haven't been to that amphitheatre for any performance and while it is not impossible to get to, it is not as accessible or located close to a number of other nearby sites and amenities as the one proposed.

If you were coming from out of town and staying in a nearby downtown hotel, it would be an easy walk to something in this proposed location, or also an easy ride by LRT. So as an idea this makes good sense and if the province is ready and willing to pay for it, even better.
 
David A said:
Nothing against the existing small amphitheatre at Hawrelak park or the park itself. Although I have lived here many years, I haven't been to that amphitheatre for any performance and while it is not impossible to get to, it is not as accessible or located close to a number of other nearby sites and amenities as the one proposed.

If you were coming from out of town and staying in a nearby downtown hotel, it would be an easy walk to something in this proposed location, or also an easy ride by LRT. So as an idea this makes good sense and if the province is ready and willing to pay for it, even better.
Click to expand...
It's a little difficult to appraise the economic viability of an amphitheatre without the benefit of a cost / benefit study but the capital cost might be in the neighborhood of what the Province is willing to pony up. In general, Edmonton has done a fairly decent job of moving with the trend towards a walkable city and an ampitheatre would be a good complimentary piece to advance in that direction imo.
 
It's possible that Edmonton's population would be unable to support an ampitheatre. Would a $50M capital cost for 50 performances be a reasonable guess? Operating cost for an outdoor facility would be modest. Perhaps in the same range as an outdoor swimming pool but presumably with more revenue. Estimated capital cost of $65M for 75 performances in Vancouver according to a CBC article.

"The Pacific National Exhibition says the massed-timber design for the new PNE Amphitheatre will turn it into a jewel of the local event scene.

Construction of the triangular-shaped, open-air, 10,000-seat venue is set to begin in 2024, with expected completion in 2026. The estimated cost is $65 million.

When finished, it will be the "largest free-span timber roof structure in the world," according to the PNE.

PNE president and CEO Shelly Frost said the design by Vancouver-based Revery Architecture provides "a significant sound barrier" to prevent event noise from bleeding into the surrounding residential neighbourhoods.

"Our architectural solution was an elegant structure that will cover the amphitheatre, gracefully landing on three points into the landscape. This gesture will frame vistas to the mountains and the surrounding context, creating transparency at the human level and an intimate atmosphere under the warmth of the wood," said Venelin Kokalov of Revery Architecture.

The design includes private suites, a banquet room and VIP seating. The current amphitheatre, built in 1966, will be torn down."

The new venue is expected to host over 75 performances per year, with an estimated annual attendance of more than 340,000.

On Wednesday, the PNE announced it was seeking sponsors for the Amphitheatre, including the naming rights.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top