Award

M A R C H 2 0 2 2 | 57 Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y ROYA L AV I AT I O N M US EU M O F W E S T ER N C A N A DA ; R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y R EI C H& P E TC H ROYAL AVIATION MUSEUM OF WESTERN CANADA by ROBIN BRUNET T he idea for a new national museum in Winnipeg to house historic aircraft dates back at least 25 years, and when the development process began in earnest in 2017, it was clear that cre- ating the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (R AMWC) adjacent to the busy Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport terminal would be logistically challenging. But thanks to a team that included Reich&Petch Architects (R&P) andArchitecture49 as well as PCL Construction, the challenges were surmounted and the main objective of creating a distinctive building was achieved in spades. The new museum has a sloping design that R&P principal Pauline Dolovich says was inspired by the dynamic lines of an aircraft wing, and the interior is an open hanger providing great views of the histori- cal collection from a mezzanine above. Large expanses of glass at the second floor destination lounge overlook an exterior plaza and the airport run- ways beyond. Whit Petch, senior principal at R&P, says his firm's relationship with R AMWC dates back to 2006, when it led the master plan for the project through multiple phases. As for the collaboration with Architecture49 and PCL, "they had worked well together on several notable proj- ects, including the Manitoba Hydro Head Office building and Canadian Museum for Human Rights." For R AMWC, Architecture49 was tasked with developing the build- ing's exterior design and envelope, while R&P focused on the inte- rior and exhibition installations. The owner's mandate was to create a world-class aviation-based des- tination – but within strict budget parametres. "We couldn't reduce the size of the building, so we looked at ways to reduce expenses without sac- rificing quality," John Crocker, senior architect at Architecture49 says. "PCL, along with the mechanical and elec- trical contractor, wound up achieving $5 million in savings by examining all aspects of the design." To take one example, instead of using a combination of precast cladding and insulated metal panels as originally stipulated, only insulated metal panel was used for construction efficiency. Amy Klassen, project architect at Architect49, says large expanses of façade glazing had to be angled, along with profiles variegated, to avoid glare to the control tower. Also, the muse- um's west wall was angled in order to maintain sightlines from the air traf- fic control tower to cargo aprons and runways. While this initially posed a

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