Overview

• Formline Architecture + Urbanism and KPMB Architects were selected from 14 Canadian proposals and endorsed by the board after an Architect Selection Committee review.
• The reset follows the scrapping of Herzog & de Meuron’s plan after reported costs climbed from C$400 million to about C$600 million, with roughly C$60 million already spent in soft costs.
• Construction at the Larwill Park site began with excavation in March 2024 but has been paused since summer 2024, and the gallery has not provided a new construction or opening timeline.
• The partnership pairs Formline’s Indigenous, place-based and mass-timber experience with KPMB’s record delivering major museum projects across Canada.
• The choice of Canadian firms aligns with reporting on a major donor’s prior condition to hire a Canadian architect, and the project envisions relocating the gallery from its courthouse home with a previously stated goal to expand exhibition space.