
Art Gallery of Alberta
Project by Randall Stout Architects
The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is located in downtown Edmonton, in the province of Alberta, Canada. and was designed by Randall Stout Architects.
A massive ribbon of stainless steel wraps around and through the building serving both functional and visual architectural elements. Dubbed "The Borealis", this represents the northern lights, a frequent phenomenon of the Edmonton night sky. The borealis snakes through the gallery's interior and emerges above the building to form the roof's canopy, and then drops again to serve as a “snow cone," collecting snow and ice.

Photo© Randall Stout Architects

Curving borealis wraps through the AGA Cafe.
Photo© Randall Stout Architects

Outside on the Art Gallery of Alberta Deck.
Photo© Randall Stout Architects

Dusk at the AGA.
Photo© Randall Stout Architects
The sleek curving borealis is paneled using Angel Hair™ Stainless Steel surface. This surface treatment gives the building its muted glow, reducing and nearly eliminating any harsh glare from the sun.
The "borealis" is engineered using the ZEPPS™ process, , a system developed by Zahner to simplify the construction of complex structures and facades. For a curvilinear form that wraps around and within the building, an intelligent structural system was required to handle the curves and handle all structural loads. The ZEPP™ Process was engineered so that the Flynn on-site workers could easily install the pre-fabricated panels.
The building also features a variation on the Hunter™ Pre-weathered Zinc Patina. This surface is used throughout the interior and exterior on flat and geometric surfaces. It is similar in appearance to slate or limestone.

AGA Deck clad in Hunter™ Pre-weathered Zinc Patina
Photo© Randall Stout Architects
Making the Art Gallery of Alberta
Zahner is one of the few organizations in the world that has a dedicated team for handling design-engineering processes. The Design Assist Group (DAG) divides the project and translates the architects' intent into engineered subsections and parts which the draftsmen and project engineers can then rapidly push to the fabrication facility.
DAG produced several scale mockups (see below) of both the flat-lock zinc siding as well as the curvilinear Angel Hair™ Stainless surface. These mockups give a sense of the upcoming quality, as well as aid in identifying potential problems and develop essential solutions.

Early AGA mockup
Photo© Randall Stout Architects
Zahner design-engineered, fabricated, delivered the components of the Art Gallery of Alberta for intelligent installation by the installers at Flynn in Canada. This process was made possible by intensive design consulting sessions early in the planning process, facilitated by the Design Assist Group (DAG).
Design Assist | BIM to Build
Zahner's Design Assist Group sets the project foundation. As the construction world continues to move towards digital and cloud computing, DAG leads the way with Building Information Modeling frameworks, so that all participants are aware every stage of construction.
The structure was divided into several complex components, and to keep the entire project organized required a strong Building Information Model (BIM). Drawings from the architect were digitally defined and refined into a working model which served to involve every aspect of its construction.
This makes complex components, such as the architectural metal wing flying through the window, possible (see below). Coordinating multiple trades is one of the big strengths of BIM. It also plays a large role in condensing the construction down to its essentials.

Photo© Zahner
More Projects
- 18.36.54
- 200 Eleventh
- 40 Bond Street
- 400 Fifth Avenue
- 65 East Goethe
- Alexandria Parking Structure
- American Heritage Museum
- Apple Stores
- Argosy Casino
- Arkansas House
- Art Gallery of Alberta
- Art Wall at Doha University - Student Center
- Baja 600
- Bartle Sky Stations
- Basrah Sports City Stadium
- BOK Center
- Bowdoin College Museum of Art
- Broad Art Museum
- Cats Paw Lounge
- Cerner Corporation Headquarters
- Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine
- Columbia University
- Contemporary Jewish Museum
- Cooper Union
- Cowboys Stadium
- Daeyang Gallery
- Dallas Fort Worth Airport
- de Young Museum
- Dream Downtown
- El Paso Courthouse
- Eugene Federal Courthouse
- Experience Music Project
- Fairmont Pacific Rim
- Fisher Center
- Guggenheim Canopy
- Guggenheim Hermitage Museum
- Hands of Man
- Hoag Rawlings Library
- Hunter Museum of American Art
- Independence Temple
- Instructional Centre at UTM
- Irving Convention Center
- Juilliard Stairs
- Kansas City Star
- Kansas City Zoo
- Kauffman Center
- Kauffman Stadium
- Lake Whitney
- LAPD Memorial
- Liverpool Mexico
- Lumenhaus
- McCoy Federal Building
- Miami Intermodal Center
- Miyake
- MOCA Cleveland
- Morimoto
- Morphosis Exhibit
- Murphysboro Sculpture
- Museum of Science and Industry
- NASCAR Hall of Fame
- Neiman Marcus
- New World Symphony
- Nissan Studios
- Noisette Pavilion
- Oakley Headquarters
- Oculus
- Ohr-O'Keefe Museum
- Ovitz Residence
- Power & Light Bridge
- Pritzker Pavilion
- Rosenthal Museum
- Royals Crown
- September 11 Museum
- SFMTA Ticket Kiosks
- Shafran Planetarium
- Sidra Medical Center
- Silver Towers
- SMU Collins
- Spaceport America
- Standard Parking
- Stony Brook
- Suzanne Roberts Theatre
- Tacoma Art Museum
- Tacoma Museum of Glass
- Taubman Museum
- The Dodge Building
- The Modern in Fort Worth
- The Smithsonian
- Treasure Island
- Trinity River
- UNMC Tower
- W Hotel
- Weatherhead School
- White Chapel
- Winds of Aphrodite
- Winspear Opera House
- Wyly Theater
- Zahner Headquarters
- 100th Anniversary SMWIA
- Ray and Maria Stata Center Exterior
News & Updates
"Zinc shows its mettle" - The Miami Herald 4/20/2013
Zahner's Director of Marketing, Gary Davis, discusses the benefits and uses of Zinc in architecture.
The Zahner App is now available for iPhone. Features hundreds of projects by artists and architects.

Tessellate™ kinetic metal surfaces by Zahner and ABI released: visually stunning and environmentally responsible.
![]()
Introducing the Hands of the Artist™ division, where Zahner engineers and craftsmen produce projects for artists.
Stay current...
Follow @azahner on Twitter.
Zahner iPhone App
Art & Sculpture Competition
Hands of the Artist
Zahner Expansion Update
Follow @azahner on Twitter
Employee Email Access
A. Zahner Company
1400 East 9th Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
T:816.474.8882
F:816.474.7994
Employee Remote Access




