Banff Visitor Centre

The redevelopment of the 200 Block of Banff Avenue reconsiders how visitors encounter Banff National Park at the scale of the town centre. Designed by Paul Raff Studio and Kengo Kuma & Associates in collaboration, the proposal emerged from an international competition organized by Parks Canada and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, calling for a concept that integrates architecture, landscape, and public life within a nationally significant setting.

Occupying a roughly three-acre site, the scheme is organized as a series of low-profile, wood-clad pavilions arranged around a central plaza. One to two-storey buildings accommodate visitor services, interpretive spaces, and community programming, alongside a residential component and underground parking. The landscape, designed by DTAH, establishes a continuous ground plane of stone paving, permeable surfaces, and native planting calibrated for year-round use. Subtle grading defines areas for gathering and movement, while the placement of buildings preserves clear views toward the Bow Valley and Mount Rundle.

At its centre, the project pairs a new Visitor Centre Pavilion with the adaptive reuse of a historic Parks Canada administration building. The existing structure is reimagined as a circular gathering space, anchored by a central hall and a renewed lookout tower offering panoramic views. The Pavilion, connected by a transparent glazed link, introduces a contemporary form defined by a folded roof, timber structure, and shale roofing. Inside, a light-filled interior and mezzanine terrace support orientation, exhibitions, and public use.

Architecture is positioned in service of landscape, framing the surrounding terrain as the primary experience.