The Ask

The founders of the National Music Centre in Calgary wanted to build a cultural institution unlike anything created before—an innovative, 160,000-square-foot headquarters to celebrate the love of music, with spaces for performances, exhibitions, collections and three Halls of Fame related to Canadian music. Our task was to make the content feel like a vibrant, living music magazine.

Solution

SCL worked closely with the NMC and partners in exhibition design and media to develop the content across 22 distinct gallery spaces. We leveraged our award-winning storytelling and design skills to convene an expert team of more than 50 contributors and to create highly original content, photography and graphic design. Our team also created, designed and built touch-screen installations that combine editorial strength with intuitive technology.

Result

The NMC is recognized as a groundbreaking visitor experience — ambitious in scope and scale as well as cutting-edge interactive. The Globe and Mail called it a “bold multi-purpose monument to Canadian music.” “Soundscapes,” a gallery co-created by our team, won a prestigious American Alliance of Museums Muse Award in 2017.

Services

Strategic Consulting, Custom Content Creation and Management, Database Creation, Graphic Design, Custom Photography and Illustration, Touch-Screen Software Development, Website Design (nmc.ca)