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The Calgary Stampede's transition from a local livestock show to an international display of culture was greatly assisted by the development of the Modernist Big Four Building in 1959. Purported to be the first large-scale use of a split-level design in Canada, permitting programmatic flexibility and a wide range of events, the building abutting Macleod Trail SE represents the expansion and commercialization of Calgary's most well-known festival.
The 1950s and 1960s were a period of immense growth for the Stampede, which saw its grounds and infrastructure expanded. Together with the Stampede Corral in 1950, the Big Four was one of the most visible pieces of evidence of the event's tremendous growth. The exhibition space took its name from George Lane, A.E. Cross, Senator Pat Burns and Honourable A.J. McLean, the original founders of the Stampede in 1912.
The multi-purpose venue was capable of hosting curling and hockey — originally accommodating 24 sheets of ice, the facility expanded to host 48 sheets by 1960. The exhibition spaces are architecturally treated by an exposed steel-frame structural system and polished concrete floors. The exterior of the J. Stevenson & Associates-designed structure is defined by an avant-garde corrugated roofline that cantilevers over the front entrance. The arcade was one of the first folded-plate technology roofs in the city.
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