2 Best Sights in Alberta, Canada

Architecture buffs should plan a visit to Calgary’s newish central library. When it opened in 2018, it was one of Architectural Digest's most anticipated buildings of the year. The building’s curved surface is composed of hexagonal panels that give way to an expansive archway at the entrance, created entirely of western red cedar planks from British Columbia. Inside, six floors provide all the trappings of a modern, tech-enriched library, from a children’s library on the main floor to the Great Reading Room on the top floor, designed so Calgarians and visitors can ruminate over their books and computers in the glow of natural light.

This recently renovated, award-winning library is the second-most visited place in Edmonton, in part because of its new multi-story simulation wall in the lobby; made up of 278 screens, it's North America's biggest digital exhibit. Other innovations include a 10,000-square-foot makerspace area with 3D printing facilities, recording studios, robotics, and fabrication tools, and the Gamerspace that includes the latest gaming consoles as well as retro video games. Pîyêsîw wâskâhikan (Thunderbird House) is a dedicated Indigenous gathering space that includes an independent HVAC system, making it the first public space in the city to support unrestricted smudging.