Fentress Architects’ design of the GWCC’s expansion and renovation repositions downtown Atlanta as one of the finest convention, sports and entertainment destination in the world, adding to the firm’s ongoing convention center projects
As the nation’s fourth largest convention center, the three-and-a-half million square foot Georgia World Congress Center hosts more than a million visitors each year and accommodates some of the most renowned events in the country. Despite its success, the venue’s single largest exhibit space is only 600,000 square feet, hindering the GWCC’s ability to entertain some industries’ largest events. In order to compete in the realm of convention centers that have more than one million square feet of contiguous exhibit space, Fentress Architects designed a seamless 100,000-square-foot “Connector” between the existing halls. The groundbreaking celebration will be on July 31st.
Seamless Design for Atlanta’s 2020 Vision
In 2016, the Georgia World Congress Center announced a new campaign and strategic plan to transform downtown Atlanta’s western quarter by 2020. The opening of the iconic Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2017 launched the start of the 2020 Vision, contributing to the city’s economic growth and attracting three of the world’s largest events: the 2018 College Football National Championship, the 2019 Super Bowl, and the 2020 NCAA Final. Future developments include a high-rise 800-to 1,000-room hotel adjacent to the GWCC’s Building C and a series of renovations to Centennial Olympic Park aimed to improve its multi-use event capacity, increase community access and improve the visitor experience.
The existing GWCC lacks the contiguous space necessary to attract the world’s largest and most compelling events, as well as support the anticipated need for space. Denver-based Fentress Architects, known for its expertise in innovative, solution-driven design for convention centers and large-scale civic spaces, was appointed to design the new “Connector” not only to create additional usable space, but also to seamlessly integrate a wow-factor moment within the overall GWCC campus. The result is a new contiguous exhibit hall that joins the existing B and C exhibit halls.
Leader in Designing Sought-After Convention Centers
Fentress Architects shapes the evolution of convention centers with solution-driven and innovative design. With projects like the Colorado Convention Center, the Miami Beach Convention Center, and the San Diego Convention Center Expansion, Fentress applies an integrated and imaginative design approach that places the client’s and the community’s needs at the heart of the design.
Fentress Architects is a global design firm that passionately pursues the creation of sustainable and iconic architecture. Together with its clients, Fentress creates inspired design to improve the human environment. Founded by Curtis Fentress in 1980, the firm has designed $42 billion of architectural projects worldwide, visited by more than 550 million people each year. Fentress is a dynamic learning organization, driven to grow its ability to design, innovate and exceed client expectations. The firm has been honored with more than 500 distinctions for design excellence and innovation.
Fentress has studios in Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; and London, U.K. www.fentressarchitects.com