Forum Thermal is set to become Calgary’s largest architecturally-driven urban thermal spa, with 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.
Located at the intersection of Calgary downtown and Beltline, in the The Oliver Block, Forum Thermal is slated to open in Late 2026.
Forum Thermal is shaped by the team behind some of Canada’s’s most influential thermal experiences. With six signature pools, three saunas and two steam rooms, Forum will offer a series of interconnected experiences.
An exterior thermal pool wraps around the south, west and north terraces. Designed by HEREBY, the team wanted to weave the downtown surroundings into the experience in unexpected ways.
In an interview with Retail Insider, Nic Dykstra, Partner, Spa Experience and Design at Forum Thermal, talked about the new concept.
Question: What inspired the concept for Forum Thermal, and what does creating Calgary’s first unscripted thermal environment mean in the context of the city’s evolving hospitality and wellness landscape?
Answer: The concept for Forum Thermal grew from our founders’ deep involvement in the North American thermal spa industry and a collective desire to bring that experience to our hometown. We saw an opportunity for a large-scale, unapologetically urban thermal spa in the heart of Calgary, a city with a growing urban population, and a growing interest in wellness, but without a large-scale thermal experience within the urban core.
The idea of creating Calgary’s first “unscripted” thermal environment comes from our belief that wellness is personal. There shouldn’t be a prescribed sequence or a single “right” way to experience thermal wellness. At Forum, guests can choose how they want to move through the space and what they need from it that day. They might spend time in a social or silent sauna, move between hot and cold experiences, take a cold shower, or simply find a place to relax. The experience is intentionally flexible and can evolve with the individual.
That approach also reflects how we see Calgary’s hospitality and wellness landscape evolving. Many urban wellness spaces tend to be smaller and more focused, while larger thermal destinations are typically located outside the city. Forum brings the breadth and variety of a larger thermal destination into an accessible urban setting, combining indoor and outdoor spaces with a wide range of experiences.
Ultimately, we see Forum as part of Calgary’s growing wellness ecosystem, and as a reflection of where the city is heading. As wellness becomes increasingly integrated into people’s life, we want to give Calgarians more range, and a new way to experience thermal wellness without leaving the city.
Q: How did the architecture and design of the Oliver Block shape Forum Thermal’s experience, particularly the decision to connect the indoor and outdoor thermal spaces with the surrounding downtown environment?
A: We searched Calgary for nearly two years for the right location. After touring the base of The Oliver West, we knew we had found it. The location between the Beltline and Downtown placed Forum at the interface of two distinctly rich urban environments: a dense residential and hospitality neighbourhood on one side, and Calgary’s employment, hotel, and cultural core on the other. With Forum, we saw an opportunity to create a thermal spa experience that was connected to the energy of these communities rather than separated from it. Plus with over 800 residential units, there is an existing community right above the space.
The architecture and interior design of the Oliver, particularly the ground level lobbies, restaurants and common spaces all exude an elevated urban experience that continues with the design of Forum. The base of the east tower has Luca and Gatsby’s, regarded as two of Calgary’s finest restaurants. We expect Forum to be considered in the same class.
The building’s structure also presented a unique opportunity. The main floor was designed with a large clear span and a very strong floor slab. This allowed us to introduce multiple pools in the interior in an open, column free environment. More importantly, a series of narrow exterior spaces immediately outside our indoor space had little functional role within the rest of the development. We saw their potential to become an extension of the thermal experience, with outdoor pools, saunas, and relaxation spaces that connect guests directly to the surrounding city. This experience will be unique for an urban thermal spa.
The proximity of the railway was another important part of that experience. Rather than treating the railway as something to screen out, we embraced it as part of the environment. Guests can sit in a pool or sauna and simply watch the trains pass by. It creates a sense of connection to the movement and activity of downtown while still offering a place to pause and relax.
Ultimately, the design of Forum grew from the opportunity to blur the boundary between the spa and the city: bringing the outdoors in, extending the experience outside, and allowing the energy of Calgary to become part of the experience rather than something separate from it.
Q: What can guests expect from the six signature pools, three saunas and two steam rooms, and how did you approach creating a thermal experience that feels distinctly Calgary?
A: Guests can expect range, rather than prescribed process. With six pools, three saunas, and two steam rooms, Forum is designed as a landscape of different experiences: indoor and outdoor, social and silent, hot and cold. Guests are free to explore the environment according to their state of mind and interest, with each space offering its own identity, atmosphere, and connection to the city beyond.
The three saunas are deliberately different. The largest is a social sauna seating more than 36 people, designed for aufguss and other wellness rituals. The other two saunas are smaller and silent: one features uniquely positioned seating tiers and an entrance from above, while the outdoor sauna offers views of Calgary’s skyline and passing trains.
The two steam rooms also offer distinct experiences. The larger can accommodate more than 20 people across three tiers of benches and includes two cold showers inside. The smaller incorporates a salt-scrub exfoliation experience, with handheld showers for cleansing.
The six pools create another layer of variety, ranging from hot to warm to cold, both indoors and outdoors. Each has its own views, seating, and relationship with moving water, including jets, air bubblers, and waterfalls.
Beyond this, there are a range of relaxation spaces, offering silent meditation experiences, to more social communal lounge areas.
This variety is also what makes the experience distinctly Calgary. Some spaces will feel dark, quiet, and inward-looking, while others will be filled with sunlight and open directly toward the city. Throughout the experience, guests remain connected to Calgary’s skyline, streets, and railway. There isn’t one prescribed way to experience Forum, but wherever you go, the city is part of the experience.
Q: Who do you see as the core audience for Forum Thermal, and how do you expect the concept to fit into the daily lives of Calgarians, visitors and downtown workers?
A: We see Forum’s audience as broad, much like the larger Nordic spas found across Canada. Our goal is not to depend on a small group of highly frequent visitors, but to become an experience that many people can incorporate into their lives a few times a year. We see our core audience visiting roughly two to eight times annually, while welcoming those who want to make Forum a more regular part of their routine.
That audience includes people who live and work in Calgary’s inner city, as well as those who live further out but come downtown for its restaurants, culture, entertainment, and hospitality. Similarly, we’re confident that Forum will be an attractive and unique experience for travellers, being tourist or business. Ultimately, Forum is designed for anyone who is wellness acquainted or curious and wants to experience the city in a different way.
We also see Forum as complementary to the rest of a person’s day rather than an isolated destination. Because we aren’t a full-service food and beverage venue, a visit might naturally be paired with lunch or dinner, a show, drinks, or another downtown experience before or afterward.
In that sense, Forum is about more than wellness. It offers a new way to experience Calgary, one that connects people to the energy, culture, and hospitality of the city. We hope Forum becomes a modest but meaningful part of many people’s lives, fitting naturally into the many different ways Calgarians and visitors experience our growing urban culture.
Q: With 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and an opening planned for late 2026, what role do you hope Forum Thermal will play in Calgary’s Beltline and downtown neighbourhoods, and what does its launch say about the city’s appetite for new wellness and hospitality concepts?
A: We want Forum to become a positive, healthy, and welcoming new destination within Calgary’s already vibrant inner-city culture and hospitality scene. With 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, we see an opportunity to create a place where locals, regional visitors, and tourists can come together and experience that city, and thermal wellness on their own terms.
Calgary has an incredible range of cultural, hospitality, and entertainment scenes, but there are relatively few places where people from those different worlds can come together around a shared experience. We see Forum as helping to fill that gap.
As its name suggests, Forum is intended to be a physical forum for people to share time and space. Whether someone is coming from work downtown, exploring the Beltline, visiting from elsewhere in the region, or experiencing Calgary as a tourist, we want Forum to offer a place to pause, connect, and recharge.
We also believe the launch of Forum reflects Calgary’s growing appetite for wellness and hospitality experiences, particularly ones that feel genuinely rooted in the city itself. Our hope is that FORUM contributes to that evolution by creating a space that is enriching, energizing, and welcoming, while becoming a meaningful part of Calgary’s growing inner city.
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