Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
Overview
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada is a new, signature museum designed to celebrate technical innovation and the aviation heritage of Western Canada.
Details
- Client
- Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
- Project
- Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
- Size
- 85,600 sq. ft.
- Scope
- Architecture & Interior Design, Exhibit Design, Master Planning
- Location
- Winnipeg, MB, CA
- Year Completed
- In Progress
- Budget
- $27,000,000
The
Goal
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada’s mandate is to create a world-class aviation-based destination attraction on a new site adjacent to the Winnipeg International Airport Terminal. The new museum will inspire, educate and entertain, allowing visitors to imagine themselves experiencing the adventures of flight.
Beginning in 2006, R&P has had a long relationship with the RAMWC, leading the master plan through multiple phases, providing programming, space planning, costing, and thematic content.
Further to the facility and exhibition studies, R&P was asked to lead the architectural team collaborating with a local architect, Architecture 49, in developing the building design for the new museum. The building and exhibits are scheduled to open to the public in March 2022.
The
Design
The new building has an aerodynamic façade inspired by the grace of an aircraft wing. A stylized hanger, the museum will provide great views of the collection from its mezzanine and out to the adjacent airport runways from its destination lounge. The building will sit prominently on the main exit road of the airport with a highlight feature window and an aviation plaza that will showcase aircrafts and special events.
The museum will focus on compelling stories of adventure and innovation from Western Canada’s bush flying and aviation heritage. The visitor will be engaged not only by the aircraft, but also by exciting environmental vignettes that will stimulate the senses and create a unique sense of place and time for the stories being told. The clusters of aircraft will present vignettes in history and celebrate the spirit of frontier aviation, resonating with the Museum’s location at the Airport.
With the creative use of scrims, lighting, and set decoration, the aircraft will be placed in a context that tells a story, transports visitors to another place and time, and celebrates people and technology. Scrims and large format graphics help to break up the space and create separate milieu. Each environment creates a stronger, more memorable visitor experience and builds emotion around the aircraft.
The
Result
The master plan has been a foundation document upon which the board of directors was able to build momentum for funding the new museum renewal. Its success can be measured in the support received to move ahead with the new building on a prominent new airport site. R&P has forged a long-term relationship with the RAMWC and is proud to have been involved at every stage in helping the project take flight.
Former Executive Director
Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
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