One of Edmonton’s most futuristic buildings has been protected for its historic value.
City council on Tuesday approved the designation of the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium in Coronation Park as a municipal historic resource.
The domed structure “is distinguished as an early example of Modern Expressionistic style in Canada,” the city said in a news release Wednesday.
“The design was likely influenced by the popular fascination with space-age design in the 1950s,” the city said. “It has the appearance of a spacecraft hovering off the ground.”
The city and the Telus World of Science have an agreement to restore the iconic building.
“The designation of the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium illustrates the city’s commitment to the preservation of its historic resources,” David Johnston, the city’s principal heritage planner, said in the news release.
“In this case, we get the added bonus of a wonderful partnership between the city and the Telus World of Science Edmonton to bring life back to this fantastic building.”
The planetarium was the first in Canada.
With its domed roof and glass walls, the Edmonton Planetarium was originally designed to look like a flying saucer. (City of Edmonton Archives )
It opened Sept. 23, 1960. The site had been dedicated by Queen Elizabeth during her first royal visit to Edmonton in July 1959.
The building is associated with Robert Falconer Duke, city architect at the time, but was largely the creation of Denis Mulvaney, an architect with the city until 1961.
Mulvaney was also responsible for the design of the original Storyland Valley Zoo. He moved to Sydney, Australia in 1961, where he was involved in the design of the Sydney Opera House.