Monday, August 02, 2010

Raleigh Convention Center

Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh Convention Center Joel Lassiter Photography

Project Information

  • Owner: City of Raleigh, NC and Wake County, NC
  • Location: Raleigh
  • Architect/s: O'Brien/Atkins Associates in association with Clearscapes (associate architect) and TVS Design (design architect)
  • Project Team: Ross Bryan Associates (Structural Engineering) O'Brien/Atkins Associates, PA and McCleskey Consulting (Mechanical and Electrical Engineering) Howe Engineering (Fire Protection & Life Safety) Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (Civil and Transportation Engineering) C.M. Kling & Associates (Lighting Consulting) TVS Interiors (Interior Design/FF&E/Graphics and Signage Consulting) Mactec Engineering & Consulting (Geotechnical & Environmental Engineering) Acentech, Inc. (Audio Visual/Accoustical Consulting) LCM Architects (ADA Compliance) O'Brien/Atkins Associates, PA (Landscape Architecture) Leonard Smith Associates (Cost Estimating) J & A Engineering (Security/Telecommunications) Cini-Little International, Inc. (Food Service Consulting) Elevator Advisor (Elevator & Escalator Consulting) Heery International, PC (Owner Representative)
  • GC/CM: Skanska/Barnhill Joint Venture
  • Square Footage: 500,000 SF
  • Certification Date: September 2009
  • Certification Level: Silver
  • LEED Rating System: LEED NC 2.1
  • Project Type: Other

Project Description

Completed in 2008, the new Raleigh Convention Center, at just over 500,000 sf, is the premiere civic hospitality building in Raleigh and Wake County. With its vast Exhibit Hall, sixteen meeting rooms, and a Grand Ballroom seating 2,400 people, the new facility is estimated to host more than 375,000 visitors per year. Events in the new Convention Center also use the Meeting Rooms and Ballroom of the new 400-room Marriott City Center Hotel located across from the it.  

The Convention Center is arranged on three levels with the lowest being the 150,000 square foot Exhibit Hall.  Above this, at the Salisbury Street level are 30,000 square feet of Meeting Rooms. The third and uppermost level is for the 32,000 square foot Grand Ballroom. The building occupies a full city block at the street level and rises to a total height of approximately 100 feet.  Below the street level, the Exhibit Hall, loading docks and services expand below two adjacent city streets (Cabarrus and Salisbury).