The Myer Horowitz Theatre has been actively planning a major renewal and expansion for the last few years. With the passing of a student funded sustainability and capital reserve in 2020, the Students’ Union had the financial resources to approve the project and did so in November 2020.
We’re excited to announce that the renovation is moving forward, and we can now confirm that the Theatre will be closed from August 2021 until completion in 2023.
The Students’ Union’s vision for the Theatre has always been to be one of Edmonton’s premier venues in order to continue, expand, and improve social, cultural, and educational programming available to both the University of Alberta and greater Edmonton community. With this renovation, the Students’ Union envisions rebuilding the Theatre’s historical role as a key point of connection between campus, alumni, and the larger community.
The goal of this project is to restore and expand the Theatre’s ability to meet this vision, by bringing the design, technical, sustainability and accessibility elements up-to-date and judiciously expanding the flexibility and size of the pre-performance spaces to allow for a wider range of activities and programming. Specific goals of the renovation include:
- Enhancing the Patron Experience
This includes better pre-show spaces with improvements to the lobby, and a superior show experience with upgraded audiovisual capabilities and seating. We want the Theatre to be the ‘go-to’ venue for large events on campus, and a desirable space for local and international artists. - Upgrading Technical and Support Systems
We will be updating the audiovisual and multimedia capabilities of the Theatre to better accommodate a wider variety of events and production styles. Adapting our current space to one that is suitable for not only in-person events, but digital audiences, creators, and presenters as well. - Hosting a Wider Variety of Events at a Higher Velocity
By updating systems and re-envisioning the space, we seek to increase the number of events that the Theatre can host in a year. Expanding the lobby will allow additional kinds of events to be hosted in the Theatre.
The overarching objective of the renovation project is to remain a cost-effective, efficient, and competitive operation, with a state-of-the art space.
We at the Horowitz Events Centre are thrilled about the new opportunities this renovation will bring. We’re looking forward to working with our existing clients in the new space, and believe that together we will continue to create great events.
The final Design Development report for the Theatre Renovation can be downloaded here.
