Banff considers proposal to rebuild lost pavilion by Frank Lloyd Wright
Gone for decades and long forgotten by most, a striking Alberta building created by a giant of architectural design could make a return to Banff National Park.
A group of fans of Frank Lloyd Wright submitted a proposal last year to rebuild a visitors’ pavilion southwest of the Banff townsite with private money. A report on the options available will go to Banff town council on Tuesday.
Wright was already an acclaimed American architect when he was commissioned — along with a Canadian architect — by the federal government in 1911 to design a pavilion to serve Banff’s growing number of tourists.
Originally completed in 1914 in Wright’s Prairie School style, the pavilion suffered significant damage from floods and frost heaves. It was demolished in 1938 after years of neglect.
Last year, a group called the Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative joined forces with American filmmaker and Wright fan Michael Miner. They sent a proposal to Banff suggesting that they be permitted to rebuild the structure with private money.
Council asked the town’s planning department for some options. That report was posted online yesterday and among the options are building the structure where it once stood — which would require changing the current redevelopment plan for the recreation grounds now there — or rebuilding the pavilion on another part of the grounds that wouldn’t interfere with existing plans.
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves a little bit by demonstrating where the pavilion might go,” said Jennifer Laforest, a planner with the town who worked on the report. She emphasized that the options are meant to by hypothetical, and council can also opt to do nothing, or ask for more information before deciding.
When the building was commissioned, there were already plans for a year-round structure that would support curling, hockey and other activities. The construction of Wright’s pavilion was controversial among locals.
The local plans “were, as usual, ignored by the ‘overlords’ at Ottawa, who imagine they are wiser as to conditions in Banff than those who live and have their being here,” wrote the Crag and Canyon newspaper at the time.
The area where the pavilion once stood currently houses three baseball diamonds, a running track and other recreational facilities.
Arthur Allen is a retired architect raised in Banff who helped Miner with the project. Allen has been involved in various attempts to recreate the pavilion since the 1980s.
“I’ve always loved the natural side of things, I don’t like steel and tall glass towers,” said Allen from his home in Vancouver. “I love the natural quality of Wright’s work.”
Miner could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Wright only designed two Canadian buildings, the other being a cottage in Ontario that still stands.