Behind the Blueprint: An Interview with Architect Randall Stout 

by Gerald Gongos  

This excerpt is from an interview conducted in 2011 with architect Randall Stout by Gerald Gongos for the Art Gallery of Alberta.  

Things are meant to connect – sometimes simply and other times with more complexity. It has been straightforward to develop a series of questions about the new Art Gallery of Alberta designed by Randall Stout. His solution to the problem, however, is much more complex. 

I was approached by the Art Gallery of Alberta to consider questions that would provide both background and insight into the design, development and construction of the new building. Like others who were interested in the competition and results, I wanted to learn more about the design direction for the Gallery’s future. 

In our meeting on site in late June 2009 Randall Stout guided me through the building shell which appeared in different stages of completion. The overall intention was evident, exterior elevations were real and while entrances were shrouded in plywood, the interior spaces were evolving with a high degree of attention to detail and craftsmanship. The architect’s passion abounds. It was highlighted by his descriptions of the whys and wherefores and clearly demonstrated by the building’s forms and surfaces. Here are juxtapositions of delightful and airy spaces next to meaningful and carefully constructed exhibition galleries. The result is a combination of consciousness of purpose and surprise of the unexpected. 

The following dialogue provides the opportunity to hear what comes from Randall’s mind and heart, what we who are removed from the process of creating this place for art can endeavour to appreciate. 

▌Design Brief 

When you were awarded the commission to design the new Art Gallery of Alberta, what did you consider the most important project determinates? 

The AGA clearly spelled out their ambitions for the building project from the very beginning in the competition brief. They stipulated that they not only wanted to create a new building but wanted to transform the entire institution in order to stay relevant and responsive to the city’s changing arts needs and cultural diversity. When a client desires a truly “new vision”, as the AGA has so aptly named this transformation, it maximizes the opportunity for many factors – new architecture, expanding public programs and events, increased education opportunities, and renewed exhibition strategies – to work in unison to position the institution at a higher level locally, nationally and internationally. To me it was this attitude and desire that was the greatest single determinate. 

▌Design Philosophy 

You have said: “Architecture has the ability to extend beyond the known and symbolic realm of architectural styles to create emotive experiences and uplift the spirit of all users and ages.”1 With this commission, how do you imagine and then set out to achieve this connection and its impact? 

I strongly believe that architecture has the ability to evoke powerful emotions. As we began the AGA design process it was my goal to provide a variety of fresh and new experiences for visitors. When visitors are confronted with a completely new spatial relationship or architectural form, they cannot simply fall back on assigning prior knowledge of a “style” or “period”. Exploring and discovering this new environment demands a deeper personal response. 

In the AGA, the form that evokes this emotive response is a continuous ribbon of silver and white metal that rises to over four stories in height. This ribbon, with its grand scale, has been likened to the aurora borealis of the northern night sky. So this ribbon has been affectionately named ‘the borealis’ by the project team as it shares a kindred spirit with the push and pull of magnetic fields and dynamic qualities of colour, light and reflection. With this said, it is not my intention that the AGA ‘borealis’ mimic the northern lights in a literal way; it is not a singular interpretation. Rather it has an abstract quality that to some provides this regional connection while also serving in a rich variety of ways. 

The borealis rises through the public spaces, guiding the visitor throughout the museum along a path of discovery. An architectural element that is at times a wall, a roof, a canopy and a way-finding device, the borealis defies traditional architectural descriptions. As a wall and roof it does not separate space, rather it conjoins multi-level spaces. As a canopy it does not shed snow, rather it captures it for protection and display. As a way-finding device it leads you (with intuitive guidance, not with specific instruction.) Although difficult to assign an architectural word or phrase, the borealis becomes a companion of sorts. As you travel through the building, the borealis frames views of the city beyond and as well as the other levels of the museum. As you pass back and forth between exhibitions within the galleries, you return back to the circulation spine and are directed along by the borealis surface. This constant interpretative flux offers a lot to the intellect, and to the emotive aspects of exploring the architecture. 

How is architectural history a factor in your work? 

Architectural history is important because it qualifies “great” architecture from past ages not only as a science of construction, materials and proportions but as an artistic enterprise that responds to broader social and cultural goals. An excellent example here in Edmonton is the Hemingway Pool (formerly Coronation Pool) by Peter Hemingway. The building is a beautiful object and shows great design skill. But it also captures the optimism and enthusiasm of a time when architects could engage and integrate engineering concepts such as the tension cable roof. The result is a visually delicate building that is of its time. It couldn’t have been solved by a prior generation. 

At the AGA we are working towards the same things, to create a distinct, technologically innovative building that will become an arts resource for the community both now and in the future. We are using advanced fabrication and construction technologies to achieve inventive architectural forms. Without today’s computer 3-D design, modeling and computer numerically controlled fabrication this building would not be possible. The building is clearly a product of its time and will hopefully stand as a worthy architectural edifice for years to come. 

Which artists have influenced you the most? 

Richard Serra is a hero of mine. He has spent a lifetime pursuing issues regarding the compression and decompression of space and the human response to these spatial changes. Serra’s abstract and often minimalist constructions emphasize the weight and nature of the chosen materials. His work engages its audience through scale and composition. In his pieces where sinuous metal surfaces interact with each other, space is interrupted and the viewer is caught up in their surroundings. Like Serra who believes each viewer creates sculpture for themselves by being within it, I want to create architecture in which people complete the picture for themselves by being a part of it. 

I am also drawn to works by artist Robert Stackhouse and the late photographer Francis Joseph Bruguiere. Their work explores non-traditional notions of space shaping through the manipulation of scale, light and form. As both a painter and sculptor, Stackhouse incorporates stories based upon journeys and transitions. In his creations he explores ritual and mystery that have taken him to places of in between where light is captured using simple and expressive forms. I relate to his desire to explore solid and void and the relationship between interior and exterior interpretation. 

In Bruguiere’s photographic works I appreciate the abstractions of cut paper captured at a moment in time. Some of his work presents shapes in a context wherein they are lighter than air. I realize that a building is not an ephemeral thing but the experiences within it can be. 

When does the boundary between sculpture and architecture blur? 

For me the answer would be simultaneously both “Never” and “Always”. In order to answer this question with authority, you need to define both sculpture and architecture with great precision. By creating hard and fast definitions, you place severe limits on each.

Undoubtedly, architecture can be sculptural and certainly sculpture can be architectural but I prefer to leave the boundary between these two undefined and ambiguous. 

▌Concept 

 What did your first sketch for the AGA look like? 

The first sketch of AGA wasn’t a drawing on paper; it was a wood and paper sketch model. I work almost exclusively in three dimensions when generating design ideas. 

When does the plan diagramming the project requirements begin to appear in your process? 

These questions are considered from the very beginning. We work to find the optimal functional plan and resolve spatial organization issues from the start. One of the ways we do this is to work with wood blocks that represent real spatial requirements. These blocks become the framework and reference points as the sketch models evolve. 

The locations of entrances, vertical connections, exhibition galleries and support areas figured prominently in the early design phases. We trace the paths of visitors, art and service functions throughout the planning diagrams. This assures the building can be used simultaneously by gallery visitors, administrative and curatorial staff, volunteers and teaching staff, caterers and facilities maintenance personnel without inconveniencing one another. 

Do you conceptualize interior and exterior at the same time? 

Our early physical sketch models allow an immediate, natural understanding of the correlation between exterior forms and interior volumes. It is critical to approach these spatial ideas holistically rather than as separate parts. That is precisely why I work this way. As the models become more refined we begin using materials allowing the representation of key structural elements and glazing addressing views in and out of the building. 

What is the importance of metaphor especially with respect to the Aurora Borealis? 

I must first say that, in my work, metaphors are used to connect a contemporary building to its place or purpose. The metaphor is something that intrigues me and increases my excitement while creating forms, but it is always done in the spirit of abstraction. I don’t want to trivialize the ‘original’ of something by trying hard to mimic it. So with my abstract forms, visitors are drawn to their own interpretations and I am often delightfully surprised at hearing other’s cognitive memories and free associations. With that intention clearly stated, here are my thoughts about connecting with this place: 

 

Edmonton is not only Canada’s gateway to the north but it is a city which reflects a great deal of both human and natural history. I was convinced early on in my research and investigation that what distinguishes this place from others is the energy that exists here. The energy of its inhabitants is matched equally by the energy present in the natural environment. 

Combining my awareness of distinction of place with my interest in visual interpretation, I was drawn to the importance of the north and its vivid display of nighttime illuminations – I was intrigued by the northern lights, the Aurora Borealis. 

In learning more about the Borealis, I found them referred to by the Cree as the Dance of the Spirits. The transformation of light – its elusive qualities, its apparent characteristics, colour, transmittance and intensity caused me to consider the mystery and majesty of the spirit of light in nature. This natural phenomenon sparked my imagination and made me wonder how it might be interpreted
in a building intended to illuminate the knowledge of art – what do the collisions of charged particles have in common with the action of creating art? This provided one of the starting points and continued to bear influence on many of the elements incorporated into the building. 

The primary idea of a ribbon of light flowing both inwards and outwards became unifying and illuminating for public spaces. At the intersection of site and surrounding context, the Borealis becomes the spectacle that changes with varying weather and seasonal skies. The construction materials were chosen for their environmental appropriateness as well as their qualities of light reflectance and transmission. 

Louis Kahn, one of the great 20th century architects, is known for his pronouncements that material lives by light transmission and all material is spent light. The Borealis is alive in all the materials; the ways they meet, the patterns they create, the shapes they define and the mysteries they envelope. 

How and when do you introduce and evaluate scale? 

Working in three dimensions allows us to address the building scale early in the design process. We develop the sketch model at the same scale as a detailed site model that includes the building’s immediate physical surroundings. By working in this way, the building design is always considered in direct relationship to neighbouring buildings and open spaces. We also use scale replicas of cars and people so as soon as the sketch models are underway, these become recognizable scale references. That way sizing spaces and volumes has an intuitive component not just a numerical one. 

In your book Environmental Alchemy you state, “My approach to planning at the scale of individual buildings or urban districts, requires careful observation of existing patterns and sensitivity to the human impact of these patterns.” 2 How did this site on the northeast corner of Sir Winston Churchill Square factor into your early problem solving? 

We first set out to understand Sir Winston Churchill Square under varying conditions of use year-round, from the height of festival season in the summer to the shortest days in winter. During the coldest months the pedestrian movement is directed to the LRT/pedway below ground. But in the warm summer weather, people move through the outdoor plaza instead. These two diverse flows of movement drove our decision to locate the new lobby and public spaces on the southwestern corner of the site so that these spaces can connect vertically to the subsurface pedway system and also have a strong visual and physical connection to the Square. 

During our initial site studies, we learned future urban development in downtown will likely expand to the east. In this case, 102A Avenue will become an important path and an opportunity for AGA to connect to a significant developing urban area. In response, we located many museum services, like the gift shop, education entry, and elevated sculpture terrace to enliven the pedestrian experience and animate the AGA façade along the building’s southern edge along 102A Avenue. 

Another observation, more at the scale of the city, is that Edmonton consciously accepts and enjoys the duality of the City’s orthogonal urban grid, juxtaposed with the winding contours of the North Saskatchewan River. This duality aligns with the AGA program, which asked for neutral and flexible galleries for changing exhibitions as well as iconic public spaces for events. So having recognized the city grid/river duality, I thought it would be in perfect harmony to allow the building to express the same two languages, orthogonal and curvilinear. 

How is this gallery different when compared to your other museum projects? 

The AGA is different from our other museums in large part because of the density of its surrounds; it has the most urban site of all our museums. For this reason it is also the most vertical at a total of six levels, including the pedway access below the main atrium space. The access to and from the light rail transit (LRT) station is an important component of public access and is integrated spatially into the new Gallery via a large light-well, stairway, and elevator. The urban context is reinforced throughout the entire project. Credit must be shared with John and Barbara Poole for emphasizing this public space connector. They associated this broadly civic benefit with their early support of the project. 

The northern climate also dictates certain design and construction decisions that give the building some of its unique features. This includes both functional and aesthetic considerations. This project is unique in its regard for the impact of the environment. For example, snow and cold weather is a critical factor that we necessarily took into account in Edmonton. In some ways it is as basic as keeping the cold weather out of the building, but we wanted to go beyond this limited pragmatic response. Early in the design process we looked at how snow would fall and accumulate on the building during the winter months. We looked at resolving the freeze thaw cycles in many specific details. There was something poetic in the way some of the forms caught the snow and we worked to keep these moments in the final design. 

In the exhibition galleries, we expanded the use of operable walls/doors and refined the detailing. This allowed the functional necessity of back of house access to visually defer to essential display surfaces. We have also minimized the visual impact of mechanical system supply and return air, which occurs in reveals at the ceiling and floor lines, in order to perceive the spaces as open and unobstructed. All decisions in these galleries were made to enable the art to have the greatest visual impact with the fewest visual distractions. The scale of the rooms is tailor made for the Art Gallery of Alberta where the room sizes and ceiling heights are an exact response to program needs. 

▌Development Approach 

Describe your process in evolving the design of the AGA. 

Our earliest conceptual studies for the competition were three-dimensional sketch models that immediately addressed various program, scale and site considerations. Because the project is not simply a new building but a complex renovation and addition it was also critical to examine and understand the limitations and potential of the existing building. We looked closely at existing circulation patterns and set a course that would radically improve the way people and art move through both the public and back-of-house spaces. Working in this way allowed us to set an organization strategy before moving ahead with formal architectural concepts.

Throughout the competition we worked at various model scales to develop the overall design direction. Competition guidelines dictated that we produce certain models, drawings and renderings to share with the selection committee and the general public. These materials became important communication tools for presenting our design.

Once we were selected to be the architect for the new building, we worked closely with museum leaders and the construction manager to evaluate the winning scheme and make refinements and budgetary adjustments. It was also at this time that we began working with our team of engineers and consultants. As a rule, I feel that it is important to get the whole team on the same page as early as possible during the design process. When you approach a project in this way, structural and mechanical considerations become integral components of the design process, not something that is manipulated to fit the design.

How does the transference from sketch to computer rendering influence your design work? 

Our study models are already in 3 dimensions, so we use a 3-D digitizer to scan the surface of the model and import it directly into 3-D software. Once transferred to the computer, we can refine the design geometries with a level of precision that is impossible when working with physical modeling tools like paper and wood. So I would say that we use the computer more to refine rather than generate architectural elements. 

Lead us through the building as you conceived it. 

The lower level of the building provides the very important connection to the pedway and light rail transit station. It also houses the AGA auditorium/theatre, Art Sales and Rental Gallery, and the Singhmar Centre for Art Education. At street level, there is the main lobby with its reception desk, café, gift shop, collection galleries, and grand stair to the upper levels. The second level features galleries and atrium overlook. The third level is comprised of galleries, outdoor sculpture terrace and atrium overlook. The top (fourth) level contains the Borealis Lounge, administrative offices, boardroom and boardroom sculpture patio. 

How important is material selection in this project? 

The AGA design has two distinct architectural languages: the orthogonal volumes of the galleries and the curvilinear Borealis. It was important that the selected materials support this design duality. So the rectilinear gallery exteriors are covered with a patinated zinc while the curvilinear Borealis, both on the interior and exterior, is made of stainless steel. As a whole these materials are complementary but they enable various elements to take on distinctive characteristics. For instance, the zinc becomes a neutral backdrop for the reflective colour and light of the stainless-steel surfaces. 

Some of the materials are naturally cool to the eye and others warm to the sight and touch. The tones of silver and white of the exterior building materials provide a source of ambient light – the building quite literally glows at certain times because of this. Inside the use of ebonized maple flooring expresses natural grain, Douglas fir details and acoustic fabrics add rich colour and texture to spaces.

▌Expectations 

In your opinion, what will captivate people initially about the new Art Gallery of Alberta? 

It is my hope that visitors will be captivated by the way the building’s public spaces flow together to create an evolving experience. At one moment you are an observer and the next you are a participant. I am pleased with the surprises derived from the many changing views both inside and out. This character will hopefully sustain people’s interests. 

How will the exhibitions be influenced by their surroundings? 

The AGA utilizes about 80% of its gallery space for changing exhibitions. We believe the space should be flexible, allowing curators to create a variety of experiences depending on exhibition content and interpretive intent. Rather than forcing architectural constraints on the galleries as one can do for permanent installations, we opted for architecturally neutral and flexible gallery spaces. 

Although the galleries themselves are neutral, the public spaces connecting them are dynamic and vibrant. Visitors will be re-engaging the Borealis/atrium space as they move between the first, second and third level galleries. The big influence is not in the way the exhibitions are impacted by the galleries themselves, but the way in which visitors experience the exhibitions and the Borealis. 

What will sustain people’s interests in the building? 

Ultimately, the synergy of public programs, top-quality art exhibitions and the architectural experience itself will sustain interest in the museum. Interaction with the building is changing all the time, from hour to hour and season to season. The stainless steel reflects the variety of colour in the sky, the canopies hold snow giving a seasonal character to the building, so it is not a static experience. Similarly, the AGA staff is expanding the “New Vision” for the Gallery to include unique exhibitions, education programs, events and amenities encouraging people to return.

How do you think the building will alter perceptions of Sir Winston Churchill Square, downtown Edmonton, the City and beyond? 

On the northeast corner of Sir Winston Churchill Square, the perception might be that the new building fills a physical and visual void. Prior to this project the City Hall, Provincial Law Courts, Winspear Centre for Music, and Citadel Theatre all had strong visual and physical presence on the Square. The former Edmonton Art Gallery (EAG) was a lower building with its entry oriented toward 99th Street rather than the public plaza. With the four story Borealis facing out toward the Square, the building itself will have a greater physical connection with this central space. 

As the building becomes part of the surrounding context many facets of it show respect for what has come before. The diagonal lines of City Hall reappear in the new building but are composed of different materials. The curved roof-lines of the Law Courts are re-established in the curvature of the borealis. Moments of interaction between foregrounds and backgrounds feel comfortable yet exuberant. Even reflections of neighbouring buildings and spaces in the AGA glazing add a new layer of perceptions to the urban mix. 

Symbolically, the new AGA solidifies the role of the visual arts by giving it an iconic destination much like the Winspear and the Citadel do for music and the performing arts respectively. It complements other civic and cultural buildings in the downtown and confirms that Edmonton is a city committed to creating world-class public spaces for residents and visitors. The institution has truly transformed from The Edmonton Art Gallery to become the Art Gallery of Alberta. It is my hope that the building will be an iconic and memorable symbol of this transformation and become a source of pride for the city and the entire province of Alberta. 

In the future (hypothetically speaking today) how do you conceive that a next AGA addition or renovation might impact this new Gallery? 

At the time of the initial competition design, we studied possible ways for the Gallery to expand in the future. We determined that the most logical plan would be to extend the museum eastward over the underground parking deck at the Law Courts. If the building extended in this direction the lower levels could become pedestrian-friendly commercial or retail shops that would improve the streetscape along 102A Avenue. The galleries could then be expanded on the upper levels, while maintaining the iconic entry at the southwestern corner of the building across from Churchill Square. 

Yet another interesting idea considers the long term future of Chancery Hall, directly south of the Gallery. I could see a synergy at some point in the future between redevelopment of this site and a potential AGA expansion. 

In Closing 

This important project began with the premise of designing a gallery to contain and exhibit visual art. It is Randall Stout’s desire to offer a place which is both engaging and stimulating. As such, the building is a dynamic background for what happens inside. Sunlight and season affect how we look at the structure while shape and materials influence our recognition and memory experientially. Knowing how much commitment to making things happen on this scale is like the measure of an iceberg, the Art Gallery of Alberta has chosen the right architect at the right time. 

Notes: 

1. Randall Stout, “Architecture, Energy and the Environment,” in Environmental Alchemy: Randall Stout Architects, (New York: Edizioni Press, 2004), 10. 

1. Randall Stout, “Extrapolative Planning,” in Environmental Alchemy: Randall Stout Architects, (New York: Edizioni Press, 2004), 78.