I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! - Reflections on the University Sports Pavillion Redesign
The City of Edmonton is abuzz with the news. After forty years of its iconic silhouette and colour, the University of Alberta’s Sports Pavilion building - aptly named the “Butterdome” by students and alumni - is receiving a major makeover.
The University of Alberta recently announced major renovation plans to the building, shifting the controversial landmarks form from its distinctive bright yellow and round design, to a sleek modernist square silhouette while boldly introducing a new element antithetical to its original design, the additional colour of green.
As with any major change to a campus and City’s landmark, the announcement has received a mixed response from the community, with some celebrating about the change while others grieving the iconic all-yellow facade. Of course with change, members of the community have already taken to brainstorming new nicknames to call the new design, with many creative and skeptical names such as “I can’t believe its not butter(dome)” and “Garlic and Herb Butterdome” to the more critical “Molddome”.
For over four decades, the Butterdome has held been an integral part of the UofA campus infrastructure, hosting sports and the ever-dreaded early year exams, but a part of the City and Province as well, hosting events such as the crafts fair and facilitating emergency relief during crisis when it managed emergency response operations during the Fort McMurray fires in 2016, or when it was converted into a field hospital for potential surge patients during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
However, beneath the iconic yellow exterior, the building has been showing its age - the butter has spoiled you could say. The unique curved shape of the roof has created a significant safety hazard during winter, causing massive ice sheets to slide off and onto the adjacent sidewalks on potential unsuspecting pedestrians. Coupled with extreme building energy inefficiency, the renovation has moved from optional to mandatory in priority.
While the original design has been etched into campus iconography and collective identity, there is a great deal to love about the new redesign of the complex. After having conversations with peers and friends, I have grown to appreciate the new elements the new design brings.
To begin, a striking river motif runs along the side of the building, paying homage to the North Saskatchewan River, a key piece of history in part of Edmonton and the University’s founding, with north campus situated on the historic river lot 5. It is important that we acknowledge the history behind the land we are present on and have open dialogue about it. This design brings this conversation to the built environment. Additionally, the river feature contains light which will add warmth and visual intrigue to the environment, especially during our very long and dark winter months.
Second, the south side of the building along 87th Avenue will feature massive first floor windows across. Historically, this section of the building has acted as a hard edge to campus and pedestrians. This contributes to better CPTED principles adding eyes on the street and makes the sidewalk adjacent a more appealing route for pedestrians.
Finally, the redesign is not a total departure from the original character which made the Butterdome so loved. It pays respects to the building's buttery roots by integrating the signature yellow and tile pattern on the facade, maintaining the features that made the building so distinctive while bringing them into a modern aesthetic.
While the old Butterdome will soon be a memory, its legacy is built into the foundation of the new design. Its transition from a 20th century landmark into a 21st century community hub that is safer, more sustainable and more connected to the University’s history. Whether you call it the Pavilion, the Butterdome, or the "Garlic and Herb," one thing is certain: its place at the heart of the University of Alberta remains unchanged.
Written by VP Marketing Eli P.
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