Kengo Kuma & Associates, in collaboration with Paul Raff Studio, developed a proposal distinguished by its strong sustainability strategy and its capacity to deepen visitors’ connection with nature. The jury also praised its balanced response to environmental conservation, heritage values, and Indigenous perspectives. Designed to accommodate approximately one million visitors annually, the new visitor centre is expected to be constructed between 2030 and 2032.
The scheme adopts a landscape-centered approach that avoids a singular monumental building in favor of a constellation of low-profile structures made of wood, stone, and glass. Organized around a central public plaza, the proposal frames views toward the Bow Valley and Mount Rundle while integrating visitor amenities, interpretive spaces, mobility infrastructure, and the adaptive reuse of the existing Parks Canada administration building.
The project is the result of a long-term planning process led by Parks Canada, including site studies and consultation with Indigenous communities, local stakeholders, and the public. Feedback identified the redevelopment as an opportunity to modernize facilities and public spaces while reinforcing connections between people, place, and national park values. The jury further praised the proposal for the prominence it gives to landscape and outdoor public space, as well as for its flexibility and technical feasibility, allowing future refinement without compromising the vision that secured its selection.
Alberta National Park Visitor Center by Kengo Kuma and Paul Raff.
Project description by Paul Raff Studio and Kengo Kuma & Associates
The 200-Block Banff Avenue Redevelopment is envisioned as a contemporary gateway to Banff National Park, where the buildings are carefully sculpted to frame and celebrate the iconic view of Mount Rundle within the dramatic landscape of the Canadian Rockies.
Centered around a generous public plaza, the master plan brings together a new Visitor Centre Pavilion, a revitalized heritage building, and a residential building to create an open civic landscape for gathering, cultural exchange, and everyday community life.
The Visitor Centre Pavilion is conceived as a warm and immersive mountain-inspired space, defined by a sculptural, cave-like timber ceiling, rough local stone, and transparent glazed connections linking the restored Heritage Information Building to landscaped courtyards.
Inspired by the surrounding peaks and geological formations, the pavilion features a dramatic pitched roof, naturally lit exhibition spaces, and flexible interiors that celebrate Indigenous culture and storytelling.
The residential building reinterprets Banff’s traditional town architecture through a steeply pitched timber roof structure clad in stone tiles and articulated with dormer windows. The façade is intentionally subtle and refined, incorporating wood screens and locally quarried Rundle stone to create a calm, human-scaled environment that connects seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.
