EW runs down a few of the finest new builds coming up globally...
Viva Las new build
Las Vegas Convention Center District is projected to bring 6,000 construction-period jobs to Southern Nevada, and the construction portion alone is projected to generate $3.6bn in economic activity. When the project is complete, the resulting increase in economic activity could sustain up to 6,000 permanent jobs and generate an estimated incremental economic impact of nearly $700m and $221m in wages and salaries.
The $2.3bn project is the largest economic development initiative the LVCVA has undertaken since the Las Vegas Convention Center was originally built in the late 1950s. The first phase focuses on the Riviera site and includes 750,000 square feet of new exhibit space and 187,500 square feet of supporting meeting space as part of the new 1.8m-square-foot expansion.
Phase two focuses on renovating the existing convention centre and includes a 100,000-square-foot general session space and another 100,000 square feet of meeting space. Including public areas and service areas, the expansion and renovation increase the facility from its current total footprint of 3.2m square feet to nearly 5.7 million square feet. Once construction begins, the entire project is expected to take five to eight years to complete.
Scots appeal
The foundations are now being dug for an energy centre at the £333 million Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Construction on the facility’s groundworks, drainage and concrete foundations are already under way with the steelworks due to be erected later this month.
Once complete, the centre will host the largest fuel cell installation in Britain, generating electrical outputs reaching 1.4MW, to provide power, heat, and cooling for the prestigious development.
Councillor Jenny Laing, Aberdeen City Council’s co-leader, said: “The new AECC which will open in 2019 is designed to be a world-class exhibition, conference and meeting room venue. We also want it to be a leader in using sustainable technologies.”
Adelaide foundations
The $397m redevelopment of Australia’s first convention centre has been completed a month out from its first major international conference.
The centrepiece of the Adelaide Convention Centre revamp is a state-of-the-art 3000sq m Plenary Hall. With a 3500-seat capacity, the hall can be divided into more than 15 configurations to accommodate a wide range of conferences, exhibitions, banquets and other events.
The facility in the centre’s East Building features the world’s largest rotating seating platforms, which can be rotated 180 degrees within minutes.
It also features tiered hinged seating stored in the roof, which can be lowered to convert the room into a theatre-style auditorium, along with operable walls, which can be used to subdivide the space or retracted to open up the Plenary to full capacity.
The building in the South Australian capital became Australia’s first convention centre when it opened in 1987 and has helped Adelaide to become a conference city.
The first major event to be held in the new East Building will be the 68th International Astronautical Congress in September, expected to attract more than 3500 delegates including tech billionaire Elon Musk. It will be the largest event of its kind ever held in Adelaide.
Swedish success
Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre (SECC) is adding an additional storey on top of the existing hall area to create an extra 14,000sqm of space with new flexible meeting areas. The new storey will include an auditorium.
The plans to expand are put down to a growing need for capacity and strong international demand. Building the new hall and meeting facilities on a third storey will allow SECC to implement its strategy of moving certain activities upstairs, freeing up space at ground level for activities that promote interaction with the surrounding city and its social life.
