Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre

Studio Bell, home of Canada’s National Music Centre, is a landmark cultural institution located in Calgary’s East Village. Opened on Canada Day 2016, the striking 160,000 sq ft building—designed by Allied Works Architecture—comprises nine interlocking terracotta-clad towers that function as resonant architectural vessels for sound and light.

Visitors explore five floors of interactive exhibitions that celebrate Canada's music story—featuring rare instruments and artifacts, the Canadian Music Halls of Fame, broadcast facilities, recording studios, gallery spaces, performance venues, and the restored historic King Edward Hotel as a live-music blues venue. A highlight is the “living collection” of 2,000+ instruments, of which at least 20 percent remain fully operational for artists and recordings.

Beyond exhibitions, Studio Bell supports artist development through residency programs and offers recording services, education initiatives, live concerts, studio rentals, and public programming designed to engage diverse audiences.

Its architectural design is purposely musical: sound from the suspended 300-seat performance hall reverberates through galleries, stairwells, and public spaces; the terracotta tiles were digitally tuned to carry and modulate acoustics throughout.

Overall, Studio Bell merges bold architecture, music heritage, interactivity, education, and performance—making it a uniquely immersive hub where visitors don’t just learn about music—they experience it.