The city of Anaheim, Turner Construction Company and design firm Populous will break ground on the expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center on Tuesday, April 21. The $180 million renovation will add 200,000 square feet to the West Coast’s largest convention center, and will achieve completion by the spring of 2017. A As Architectrure did some questions to Tom Morton, Executive Director of Convention Center, Sports & Entertainment for the city of Anaheim, and Michael Lockwood, Principal at Populous and Project Designer for the Anaheim Convention Center expansion.
Why this project is the best way to grow the convention center?
T.M. This seventh expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center allows us to accomplish three goals. The new 200,000 square feet of leasable, flex space allows us to grow with our large annual events, provides meeting space capacity to attract meeting intensive conventions and allows us to host concurrent conventions as we will have additional meeting space to compliment our existing exhibit space.
San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles are planning expansions of their convention centers, is it to maintain the primacy of the West Coast?
T.M. We are the largest exhibition facility on the west coast and this expansion project will move our exhibit space availability to over one million square feet.
What can we expect for the 50th anniversary of the ACC in 2017?
T.M. While we are not at liberty to provide details at this point in time, but with the opening of this expansion coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the convention center, it will be a very memorable event.
What is the expansion plan for the Anaheim Convention Center?
M.L. The expansion plan consists of a vertically stacked facility containing 200,000 SF of Multipurpose convention space, 1,350 structurally integrated parking stalls, a new kitchen adjacent to the upper level 100,000 SF column-free multipurpose space, loading docks adjacent to the lower level 100,000 SF multipurpose space, Prefunction and lobby areas for registration and a climate-controlled pedestrian bridge connecting to the existing Anaheim Convention Center building.
What are the Environmental Highpoints of ACC expansion?
M.L. The Anaheim Convention Center Expansion will aim to achieve LEED Silver on the already sustainable LEED Gold campus. The Expansion, on the site of an existing car park, will maintain the previous parking quantity while providing new electric vehicle charging stations, preferred parking for fuel-efficient, carpool and vanpool drivers. The on-site kitchen will participate in the campus composting program. Multiple recycling collection points to make it easy for visitors to recycle. Bike racks, wide pedestrian plazas, and ample transit connections will encourage visitors to experience the area on foot. The lighting strategy inside uses lots of sunlight in the public gathering spaces along with energy efficient LED light fixtures.
How the new expansion integrates with the existing buildings?
M.L. The architectural design of the existing facility drew inspiration from ocean waves and the Californian coastline – the architectural design of the expansion continues this natural inspiration by referencing diffracted ocean waves – rhythmic wave patterns created when rolling ocean waves pass through an opening of rocks or an opening to a bay or harbor. This dynamic glass facade culminates in the convention center’s new front door at Katella Avenue and the Arena plaza, providing the convention center with another main entrance capable of hosting simultaneous events.
How was the partnership with Turner Construction Company born?
M.L. Populous and Turner Construction Company have a long history of working together. Having completed over 30 projects together in our history, our relationship is based on mutual trust and respect and an understanding of how to work well together. Populous has a long history of working in Anaheim, including numerous projects at the Anaheim Convention Center, the design for the Honda Center and a variety of projects at the Angels Stadium. Turner Construction Company has a primary office and notable presence in Anaheim, with a long history of working with the City of Anaheim. It made perfect sense to partner for the Design/Build delivery of the Anaheim Convention Center Expansion project.