Talisman Centre in Calgary renovated with gel roof

The largest sports facility in Canada had a grand reopening last month, sporting a new gel fabric roof, as well as structural, mechanical and electrical upgrades. Williams Engineering were the prime consultants for the renovations to the Talisman Centre, a multi-sports complex close to downtown on MacLeod Trail Southwest in Calgary.

The amenities at the centre include two 50-metre Olympic-size swimming pools, an Olympic dive tank, five gymnasiums and 25,000 square feet of training space, with over 700 pieces of equipment. It two running tracks, as well as a 20-person hot tub.

The existing teflon-coated fibreglass roof has been replaced with a gel fabric roof that admits full spectrum light. The Tensotherm fabric with Nanogel reportedly has four times the insulating properties of fibreglass or foam.

Roger Miller, who was project manager of the renovations at Williams Engineering, said in an announcement: “The roof replacement was only half of the project. Additional upgrades and enhancements will help to alleviate issues with the building reaching scorching temperatures in the summer and wet, cold temperatures in the winter.”

The complex was built in 1983 for the Western Canada Summer Games, and had major additions in 2005. It was originally known as the Lindsay Park Sports Centre. The renovations were done for the Lindsay Park Sports Society and the City of Calgary. Neil Jaud Architect was the architect. The centre has around 1.8 million visitors every year.

Installing new fabric roof at the Talisman Centre, Calgary.