The federal government is investing up to $40 million in the transformation of Calgary's historic Centennial Planetarium — home to Contemporary Calgary — into what will become one of Canada's largest contemporary art galleries.

The funding, announced July 3 through the Build Communities Strong Fund, supports the third and final phase of the Contemporary Calgary Centennial Planetarium Transformation Project. The total budget for this phase is $160 million.

The project will add a new entrance pavilion, an education and gallery wing, expanded event spaces, and a new public art park. The iconic dome will be converted into Canada's first LED Dome dedicated exclusively to contemporary visual artists. Once complete, the building will feature more than 39,000 square feet of gallery and education space, making it the largest non-collecting contemporary art gallery in Western Canada.

The redevelopment also has a significant sustainability component — the project targets net-zero operational performance through geothermal energy and high-performance building systems, with energy consumption expected to drop by up to 41 per cent while usable floor area increases by nearly 57 per cent.

The Centennial Planetarium first opened on July 1, 1967, funded by all levels of government to mark Canada's centennial. It later housed the Calgary Science Centre before becoming home to Contemporary Calgary in 2020.