Architecture and Design Features

Once a beacon for concerts, hockey games, Olympic events, rodeos and more, the Stampede Corral’s Neon Cowboy witnessed decades of events and celebrations. It is now reimagined at a nearly 1:1 scale as a marquee installation in the BMO Centre.

"The Neon Cowboy was truly a visual symbol of Stampede Park’s history and Calgarian’s Nostalgia. The re-envisioned Neon Cowboy will continue to exude our community spirit as we welcome the world to Stampede Park and the expanded BMO Centre".

This feature installation is displayed on the main floor of the BMO Centre expansion in an area where many visitors will be able to enjoy it.

A prominent new space in the BMO Centre, the Brand Room is named after the brands of the Stampede’s “Big Four" founders. The 3,000 sq. ft. space features natural light and elevated finishes, including charred wood, leather and copper accents. The space is complimented by an 11,000 sq. ft. covered outdoor balcony that offers sweeping views of Stampede Park year-round.

"To welcome guests into the space, we've partnered with Alberta Boot to do a custom stitch design on the Brand Room doors. The design pays homage to the Calgary Stampede’s past while adding contemporary elements, elegance and intrigue".

The Brand Room doors by the Alberta Boot Company feature their iconic "Calgary" stitch pattern, further highlighting the Stampede's Western heritage.

The BMO Centre expansion’s dramatic central gathering space, the Exchange, is anchored by Canada’s largest indoor fireplace, standing at 21m tall. Clad in blackened steel and copper, the fireplace offers a nod to Calgary’s western heritage and the feeling of gathering around the campfire as a place for warmth and the exchange of ideas.

The Exchange, a flexible lobby-style space, adaptable for every time of day was designed with connection in mind, featuring lots of natural light and intentional furniture groupings to facilitate informal and impromptu meetings in an inviting and comfortable space.

The massive 50,000 sq. ft. Champions Ballroom is named in the spirit of the elite equine athletes that make up The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. At 20,000 sq. ft., the Percheron Ballroom is named after the large and hardworking draft horses, a breed that is embedded into the history of agriculture.

Both the Champions and Percheron Ballroom will join in the equine name theme along with the Palomino room in our existing BMO Centre.

The Pavilion Lights on the BMO Centre feature 1,500 unique lighting soffits that grace the 170-ft. curved canopy, seamlessly reaching out of the expansion and onto the outdoor plaza on the south side of the building.

Showcasing the energy and movement of Stampede, the Pavilion Lights reflect the rides, lights, fireworks and excitement of our annual celebration, creating the ultimate sense of arrival as guests approach the BMO Centre.

The building’s interior features universal washrooms with barrier-free stalls and adult change tables, contrasting materials for easy navigation, tactile cues on handrails, warning strips at stairs, automatic door controls, publicly accessible elevators, cane-detectible barriers, and multi-layered signage with braille. Outside, visitors will find wider sidewalks with intuitive wayfinding patterns in paving stones, minimizing the need for physical signage and a service animal relief area.

The expansion incorporates sustainability measures such as natural lighting, indoor water use reduction, on-site stormwater management, responsible landscaping, energy savings LED lighting, water-saving fixtures, and an organic composting program that will reduce landfill waste by 80%.

Spirit of Water on Stampede Park – This incredible work by renowned artist, Gerry Judah, is part of our 14-piece outdoor public art collection and adds to our storied history and celebration of community.

It stands at an impressive 70 ft. tall by 45 ft. wide and weighs 112,000 pounds. Spirit of Water embodies the power and vitality of water and acts as a destination for visitors in our community and around the world to the BMO Centre’s 40,000 sq. ft. plaza.