Winspear Centre facts for kids
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Exterior view of the venue (c.2006)
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| Address | 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square NW Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4X8 |
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| Coordinates | 53°32′38″N 113°29′15″W / 53.54389°N 113.48750°W |
| Public transit |      Churchill station |
| Owner | City of Edmonton |
| Operator | Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation |
| Type | Performing arts centre |
| Capacity | 1,716 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1995 |
| Opened | September 12, 1997 |
| Construction cost | CA$45 million ($72.7 million in 2021 dollars ) |
| Architect | Cohos Evamy Partners |
| Tenants | |
| Edmonton Symphony Orchestra | |
The Francis Winspear Centre for Music is a special place for music and performances in Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It's like a big concert hall where people go to enjoy live music.
The Winspear Centre opened its doors in 1997. It is the main home for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, which is a group of talented musicians who play classical music.
The centre is named after Francis G. Winspear. He gave a very generous donation of $6 million to help build it. This was the largest private donation ever given to a performing arts building in Canadian history at that time!
Contents
Building the Winspear Centre
Building the Winspear Centre was a big project. Besides Mr. Winspear's donation, the Canadian government and the Alberta government also helped. They each gave $15 million to make the centre possible.
Inside the Concert Hall
The main concert hall is designed to hold many people. It has seats for 1,668 guests. If extra seats in the choir loft are used, it can fit up to 1,884 people!
The hall is a tall, rectangular room. It has curved balconies and terraces where people can sit. The design is a modern version of old "shoebox" shaped concert halls. These older halls were known for their amazing sound quality.
The Davis Concert Organ
In 2002, a huge pipe organ was added to the centre. It's called the Davis Concert Organ. This amazing instrument was built by a company called Orgues Létourneau Limitée in Quebec.
The organ is truly massive! It has 96 stops, 122 ranks, and a total of 6,551 pipes. Imagine all those pipes making music! The organ was named after Stuart Davis, who was very generous, and also in memory of his late wife, Winona. Its first performance on September 14, 2002, was completely sold out.
Future Plans: The Winspear Project
Since 2009, there have been plans to make the Winspear Centre even bigger and better. This expansion project is called "The Winspear Project."
The project includes adding 41,000 square feet of new space. It also involves updating the existing areas. There are plans for a YMCA daycare and a parking area. The community is helping to raise $17 million for this project.
The Winspear Project will add a new 550-seat hall. This hall will be flexible, meaning it can be used for different types of performances and events. It will also have a childcare centre, more parking, and other useful spaces. This expansion will help the centre offer more programs and work with other arts groups.
How the Sound Works
The sound inside the Winspear Centre is very special. It can be adjusted to sound perfect for different types of music.
Adjusting the Sound
The centre uses special velour banners and curtains. These can be moved to change how sound bounces around the room. For example, if a performance needs less echo, the curtains can be used to absorb some of the sound. This is also helpful for orchestra rehearsals, making it sound like a full audience is already there.
Sound Control System
There's also an adjustable canopy system above the stage. This system helps to balance how clear and how echoey the sound is. It also helps control how loud the music sounds. Along with curved sound reflectors, it helps musicians on stage hear each other better, which is important for playing together.
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The amazing Davis Concert Organ
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The main performance hall at the Winspear Centre
See also
- List of concert halls
