RJC leads structural redesign for Calgary’s Glenbow Museum

Canadian Consulting Engineer | August 2025

RJC Engineers is leading the structural redesign of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, intended to transform it from a concrete box with few windows into a more inviting, light-filled and accessible civic space within the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture.

The firm is replacing the building’s closed-off exterior with a more modern glass and tile façade. Key design features will include a pillow (bay) window on the east side, a vertical gallery skylight on the west side, interior glass partition walls and an overhanging entrance to draw visitors into a public plaza.

Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, RJC is working within the museum’s original structure, carefully removing the concrete exterior and engineering interior spaces without compromising the building’s structural integrity.

The museum is expected to reopen next year with 44 exhibitions, displays and installations spanning eight floors and 325,000 sf of new space. In what is reportedly a first among major Canadian museums, admission will be free for all visitors, forever.

Read Publication Back to Published Items