The heart of the Sam Centre is community building; a mission deep-rooted in the culture of the Calgary Stampede since its inauguration in 1912. Known as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, for more than a century Stampede has successfully drawn people together for the annual 10-day rodeo event.
The new Sam Centre is a hybrid platform where all activities represent Stampede’s core mission. Calgary Stampede Foundation's (CSF) understanding of their brand identity and clarity about who they are extends through the unique concept for the building, exhibitions, collections, programs, and events.
The CSF had a dream to celebrate and share the Stampede experience year-round. Comprised of 30,000 square feet of space under a large, enclosed roof, the building welcomes visitors to participate in a range of themed exhibits and displays. Sam is also a venue for public education programs and events, and houses a portion of the Stampede collections and archives. In addition to its educational activities, it is an attraction designed to give visitors an immersive experience. Like Stampede, Sam is intended to be fun!
In this session, CSF will talk about their community-based identity and how it was translated into a bold concept for Sam Centre. Diamond Schmitt Architects will talk about how this concept was understood and adapted to an architectural design that expresses the spirit of Stampede. GSM will discuss how the powerful brand identity was translated into exhibition experiences that honor that community in a fresh and new way.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how to apply mission and identity objectives across the many facets of a complex project
- Explore strategies on how to respond to project challenges and impacts of external factors while remaining focused on core project values
- Understand how a community and brand identity can be represented in varied ways through architecture, exhibition design and programming
- Reflect on lessons-learned by an institution that grew and evolved through the creation of a unique offering for its community.
