The latest building from Allied Works Architecture (AWA), the Portland, Oregon–based firm helmed by visionary architect Brad Cloepfil, may be many things—among them a 300-seat performance hall, a museum, and the home of Canada’s National Music Centre—but it certainly isn’t shy. The 160,000-square-foot Studio Bell, which has been in development since 2009, features a striking sky bridge and shimmering terra-cotta façade, boldly setting it apart from the cityscape of downtown Calgary. Composed of nine interlocking towers, the structure is a spirited addition to AWA’s rich portfolio of cultural institutions, which includes the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver and the refresh of Manhattan’s Museum of Art and Design.

“In its many diverse spaces, Studio Bell echoes the variety of musical performance,” says Cloepfil of the new building, which also holds a radio station, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, recording studios, artist-in-residence spaces, and classrooms. (An abandoned hotel dating from the early 20th century was also preserved and incorporated into the project.) The design’s multiple volumes, he says, are “modeled by gravity and acoustics, and together create a silent and powerful instrument that emanates music and light.” A portion of the center opened over the summer, but the final exhibition spaces were only completed in late October. Visitors are now welcome to peruse the vast collection of over 2,000 musical instruments, artifacts, and artist memorabilia spanning the past five centuries.

Exterior of Studio Bell, the new home of the National Music Centre, in downtown Calgary, Canada.

A pair of helical staircases flank the lobby of Studio Bell.

The 300-seat performance hall with flexible seating and movable acoustic wall.

Visitors in exhibition spaces at Studio Bell.

Looking up from the lobby.