The new Art Gallery of Alberta Building designed by Randall Stout Architect, located on Sir Winston Churchill Square, was completed in 2010. While under construction, and for a publication about the design competition and the construction of the building, I was asked to prepare an introductory essay. I chose to write the history of exceptional buildings that have been constructed, periodically, in modern Edmonton since the Second World War. The new Art Gallery was, at the time, the latest of these iconic buildings that were often designed by outside architects. The conclusion of the essay is that the AGA is an appropriate urban design solution for its location on the Square and that time will tell if it has an enduring effect on the local architectural scene. The essay was not chosen to be published.