Spokane Convention Center Completion
Spokane Convention Center Completion Lot Size: Building Size: Location: Project Type:
276,000 sf 90,000 gsf new / 20,000 gsf renovated Spokane, Washington Built
Project Narrative Vision
Site
Design
The Spokane Convention Center Completion project represents the final piece of the puzzle in the transformation of the city’s downtown waterfront, adding a new exhibition hall, ballroom, and meeting spaces. Designed for flexibility to accommodate a wide range of event types, these functional spaces interact closely with the Centennial Trail, a highly active pedestrian and cyclist trail along the Spokane River. This direct riverfront connection provides a rare amenity for this building type that the facility can market to attract events, while contributing an enlivening asset to the character of urban life at the center of the city. Wood materiality cladding the interior program volumes is expressed at a distant scale through the transparent façade, creating a warm and inviting presence on the river as an urban lantern within the crisp, neutral building structure.
The convention center is part of the sprawling Riverfront Park, built for the 1974 World’s Fair with the goal of integrating nature into the heart of the city. Pedestrian paths run throughout the site, including a footbridge to the recreational attractions of Canada Island, and the heavily used Centennial Trail which connects the park with university campuses to the east.
Rather than merely offering views of the site’s natural beauty, the new riverfront addition gives users multiple opportunities to step outdoors and become immersed in the climate, sounds, and enriching energy of the Spokane River. In a rare opportunity for the convention center building type, expansive pre-function spaces along the river frontage spill between indoors and outdoors, supporting the ballroom and meeting rooms with open, free flowing views, terraces, and social connections.
Program
The addition of 90,000 sf of exhibition hall, ballroom, meeting room, and support space ties the original convention center facility together with recent standalone expansions, creating architectural continuity and fluid connections between program elements. The project also includes restoration and rehabilitation of the trail and riverbank, as well as exterior and interior public art, with an emphasis on memorable experiences for delegates and the general public.
A set of terraced public seating steps outside the second-level meeting rooms serve as an informal platform for events, people watching, or small gatherings. The second-level exhibition hall, likewise features a series of dedicated terraces, as well as a landscaped “hill climb” connecting the trail to the Division Street Bridge for additional views and access.
N RENOVATION
Exhibit level
Ground level
Historic bridge trusses of the Spokane River
North elevation
Large-scale spaces
Medium-scale spaces
Small-scale spaces
Outdoor Programming
276,000 sf 90,000 gsf new / 20,000 gsf renovated Spokane, Washington Built
Project Narrative Vision
Site
Design
The Spokane Convention Center Completion project represents the final piece of the puzzle in the transformation of the city’s downtown waterfront, adding a new exhibition hall, ballroom, and meeting spaces. Designed for flexibility to accommodate a wide range of event types, these functional spaces interact closely with the Centennial Trail, a highly active pedestrian and cyclist trail along the Spokane River. This direct riverfront connection provides a rare amenity for this building type that the facility can market to attract events, while contributing an enlivening asset to the character of urban life at the center of the city. Wood materiality cladding the interior program volumes is expressed at a distant scale through the transparent façade, creating a warm and inviting presence on the river as an urban lantern within the crisp, neutral building structure.
The convention center is part of the sprawling Riverfront Park, built for the 1974 World’s Fair with the goal of integrating nature into the heart of the city. Pedestrian paths run throughout the site, including a footbridge to the recreational attractions of Canada Island, and the heavily used Centennial Trail which connects the park with university campuses to the east.
Rather than merely offering views of the site’s natural beauty, the new riverfront addition gives users multiple opportunities to step outdoors and become immersed in the climate, sounds, and enriching energy of the Spokane River. In a rare opportunity for the convention center building type, expansive pre-function spaces along the river frontage spill between indoors and outdoors, supporting the ballroom and meeting rooms with open, free flowing views, terraces, and social connections.
Program
The addition of 90,000 sf of exhibition hall, ballroom, meeting room, and support space ties the original convention center facility together with recent standalone expansions, creating architectural continuity and fluid connections between program elements. The project also includes restoration and rehabilitation of the trail and riverbank, as well as exterior and interior public art, with an emphasis on memorable experiences for delegates and the general public.
A set of terraced public seating steps outside the second-level meeting rooms serve as an informal platform for events, people watching, or small gatherings. The second-level exhibition hall, likewise features a series of dedicated terraces, as well as a landscaped “hill climb” connecting the trail to the Division Street Bridge for additional views and access.
N RENOVATION
Exhibit level
Ground level
Historic bridge trusses of the Spokane River
North elevation
Large-scale spaces
Medium-scale spaces
Small-scale spaces
Outdoor Programming
