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Where Is The World's Largest Convention Centre?

by TomDoerr

This week, I have been attending the OzBio 2010 conference at theMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and have been utterly impressed with the striking architecture of the new Melbourne Convention Centre component.

The single largest convention centre on earth in terms of exhibition space is the World Market Centre in Las Vegas. It has a cumulative exhibition space of 5,000,000 square feet, that's nearly 120 acres! The size of a small town.

The newer component (the "Convention Centre") was completed in 2009 and cost a reported $1 billion to construct. For that price, one should expect some decent architecture and I am pleased to report that the venue delivered.

Far too much about this new convention centre is based on its hope-and-prayer "potential," its smoke-and-mirror benefits and its too many un-questioned assumptions.

Construction is currently taking place to effectively double the size of the centre, increasing space to 10,000,000 sq ft. This will mean that at any one time the centre could hold four of the world's largest trade shows, exhibitions and conventions simultaneously.

The Vancouver Convention Centre in British Columbia is home to the world's largest 'living roof', the 6 acre grassy habitat is home to 400,000 native plants and 60,000 bees which provide honey for the restaurants. The habitat is designed to mimic coastal BC and is a fully functional ecosystem. It has natural drainage and seed migration patterns. The system successfully provides the centre with 70% of its water and has earned the building Canada's highest sustainable award.

The auditorium is beautifully fitted out with comfortable chairs in various shades of earthy green reflecting the colours of the Australian bush. The upper walls and ceiling are clad in timber. As would be appropriate in such a venue, the designers have steered away from vivid colour in a space where people need to feel comfortable but can also concentrate on the speakers or performance.

About the Author: Frank Cole

When determining the world's largest Convention Centre it is important to consider the extra space provided by the internal Meeting Rooms