Banff National Park Visitor Centre

International Design Competition Shortlist

PWL collaborated with Revery Architecture Inc. as part of a shortlisted team for the Banff National Park Visitor Centre international design competition. Conceived as an extension of Banff’s mountain setting, the design draws from the surrounding peaks, the blue-green systems of the Bow Valley, the cultural landscape of the Buffalo Plains, and the distinctive urban fabric of the townsite.

The landscape creates a transition between the town and Banff National Park. Landform, planting and public space respond to the surrounding mountains, framing views and connecting the architecture to the larger landscape while establishing a clear sense of arrival.

The design recognizes the deep Indigenous histories and continuing relationships with these lands. Inspired by the Buffalo Plains and the movement of people, wildlife and water across the landscape, the public realm provides places for gathering, storytelling and connection, recognizing that Indigenous Peoples have travelled through and cared for these lands since long before the establishment of the national park.

Water is central to the landscape approach. An integrated blue-green system captures and conveys stormwater through the site, making natural processes visible while supporting habitat and biodiversity and responding to the hydrological systems of the Bow River Valley.

Rather than treating the Visitor Centre as an isolated destination, the design extends the townsite’s pedestrian connections and public realm into the site. The landscape connects town, park and mountains, positioning the Visitor Centre as both a civic place within Banff and a point of departure into the national park.