Dallas Convention Center
Encyclopedia
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
center and civic center
Civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building...
in the Convention Center District of downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). It was designed by Larry Oltmanns who was a Design Partner with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP is an American architectural and engineering firm that was formed in Chicago in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings; in 1939 they were joined by John O. Merrill. They opened their first branch in New York City, New York in 1937. SOM is one of the largest...
at the time.
History
The Dallas Memorial Auditorium was originally constructed in 1957 near the intersection of Canton and Akard Streets. In the 1970s, the center was expanded and renamed the Dallas Convention Center; the expansion was designed by local architects OmniplanOmniplan
Omniplan may refer to*OmniPlan, management software created by The Omni Group*Omniplan , an American architecture design firm...
. The center was expanded again in 1984 and once more in 1994, when Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
constructed the Convention Center Station underneath the west-wing of the facility, connecting it to the and light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
lines. The most-recent addition to the facility was completed in 2002. Together with Reunion Arena
Reunion Arena
Reunion Arena was an indoor arena, in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas . It held 18,293 for basketball and 17,001 for ice hockey.It was demolished in November 2009 and the site was cleared by the end of the year.-History:...
, it was an emergency shelter for thousands of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
refugees in September of 2005.
While on a five city tour in the final week of 1976, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
performed here on December 28th in an amazing live show that was recorded and later released on the Follow That Dream collectors label titled "Showtime!"
In October 1978, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
played at the Convention center during their US tour, and the music video for "Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" was filmed at the center.
About
The center is over 2000000 square feet (185,806.1 m²) in size and contains over 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²) of exhibit space. The largest contiguous exhibit-space in the structure is 726726 square feet (67,515 m²). A 203000 square feet (18,859.3 m²) column-free exhibit hall in the center is the largest of its kind in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The east side of the structure contains the original element of the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, a 9,816-seat arena
Dallas Convention Center Arena
The Dallas Convention Center Arena is a 7,428-seat multi-purpose arena in Dallas, Texas, USA. It was opened in 1957. It hosted the Dallas Chaparrals, of the ABA, from 1967 to 1973, when the team relocated to San Antonio and became the San Antonio Spurs. It also hosts other local sporting events and...
. The complex also houses a 1,740-person theater, 105 meeting rooms, and 2 gigantic ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
s. In terms of accessibility, the world's largest heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
/vertiport sits atop the structure and 75 truck berth
Berth (moorings)
A berth is a location in a port or harbour used specifically for mooring vessels while not at sea.-Locations in a port:Berth is the term used in ports and harbors to define a specific location where a vessel may be berthed, usually for the purposes of loading and unloading.Most berths will be...
s line its docks.
In May 2009, voters approved construction of the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel
Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel
-External links:* at Omni Hotels & Resorts* at City of Dallas official website...
, a 1,000 room hotel that will be attached to the Convention Center upon opening in late 2011.