The first phase of the Citadel Theatre complex was opened in 1976. The morning tour will take the participants through the building to view how the Citadel operates with its over 80 employees. We will tour the 4 major event spaces exploring behind-the-scene operations, the stages, the workshops, the offices, dressing and green rooms where the actors prepare for their performances. The complex was completed in the 3 stages, the first being the design by Diamond, Myers and R.L. Wilkin, now attributed to architects Barton Myers and Rick Wilkin. We will be joined by Marshall Shoctor, son of Joe Shoctor, the Citadel’s Founder.
The lunch and panel discussion at noon will be moderated by architect Ian Mulder. Marshall Shoctor will give a presentation on his father’s passion for theatre that began here in Edmonton during his high school years. Marshall will talk about Joe’s years of producing in New York and what led to the founding of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. David will give a presentation on the design development of the 1976 Citadel Theatre. The design did not emerge without significant architectural lineage. David will lead a discussion about the historical precedents that were fundamental to the design. David and Marshall will talk about Joe Shoctor’s insightful plan to imagine a transparent urban theatre building, his selection of Diamond and Myers with R.L. Wilkin as the architects and how the design evolved into what we see today. Ian Mulder, as moderator, will lead a discussion on the theme of “The Citadel and the City” and how the Citadel has contributed to Edmonton’s downtown environment and to celebrate the new financial commitment with the City of Edmonton that ensures continuity of the theatre and conservation of this very important 20th Canadian building.
Theatre Building Tour
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Citadel Theatre
Lunch and Panel Discussion
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Tucker Amphitheatre
Hosted by: RAIC, Ian Mulder and David Murray
Tickets: $15-$25
David Murray
David Murray is an architect in Edmonton who arrived in this city for the summer of 1968 and settled here in 1969 after graduating from the University of Toronto. He worked with architects Rule Wynn Forbes Lord, Douglas Cardinal, Peter Hemingway, R.L. Wilkin, Bittorf Holland Christian and Clark James Coupland before starting his own firm in January 1984. The practice has gradually evolved into conservation architecture with projects mainly in Alberta and the NWT. While working in the office of R.L. Wilkin in the mid-1970s, David was a project intern architect on the Citadel Theatre building, a 20th C. Canadian architectural icon.
Marshall Shoctor
Marshall Shoctor was born in Edmonton, completed his university education in Montreal and Edmonton [BA in philosophy, and LLB], and had a lengthy career as a lawyer in private practice. He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 2002. After retiring from law, he spent time resuming his education at the University of Alberta, taking courses in history, with a focus on art, design and architecture. He has spent decades as a committee and board member, officer and chair of not-for-profit community organizations – including president of the Citadel's board of directors and chair of its board of governors. He recently completed six years as board secretary of the Edmonton Community Foundation.
Ian Mulder
Before finding architecture, Ian Mulder worked for many years as an artist producing murals, developing educational programs and working with communities throughout Canada and beyond. He later trained as an architect (M. Arch, University of Toronto) and helped to design and manage a variety of commercial and institutional projects. Ian Mulder is currently an architect with the City of Edmonton’s facility planning group, and Chair of the Edmonton chapter of RAIC.