Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

= Overview =

Geobox|Convention Center
name = Irving Convention Center


image_caption = ExteriorExpected to open November 2010, the Irving Convention Center is a 275,000 square foot facility located on a 40-acre tract in Las Colinas Urban Center in Irving, Texas. Currently under construction, the Convention Center and the adjoining mixed use entertainment district are bordered on the west by Highway 114, on the east by Las Colinas Boulevard, on the north by Spur 348/Northwest Highway, and to the south by Fuller Drive.

The facility is designed to serve exhibition, conventions, meetings and a variety of other events with the focus being primarily on groups of 800 to 1,200 people with a capacity of 4,000 for a general session. The building consists of several levels with an adjacent parking garage. The first floor contains the 50,000 square foot column-free exhibition hall that spans approximately two and half stories in height and includes the main lobby. The second level contains 20 breakout rooms totaling 20,000 square feet as well as the atrium café which extends to an outdoor, shaded terrace. The third level consists of the 20,000 square foot ballroom with pre-function and breakout areas.

In an effort to avoid the traditional convention center appearance and also utilize natural light as much as possible, the Irving Convention Center is designed as two boxes, stacked and rotated to create cantilevered corners that provide several shaded outdoor areas for visitors to use. The majority of the building will be surrounded in glass for natural light and curtained with a perforated copper façade that will age to a natural copper patina for both a unique appearance and to reduce the consumption of energy. The facility will be designed and constructed to pursue LEED certification.

A DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Light Rail Station [http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/orangeline.asp (Orange Line)] will be located in close proximity to the site to service both the Convention Center and the surrounding Las Colinas area in December 2012 with connections to DFW Airport in December 2013 and also the Dallas Love Field Airport [http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/greenline.asp (via the Green Line)] . There will also be the elevated Las Colinas APT System servicing the Las Colinas area. The multi-level parking garage will provide parking for 800 cars.

Project Team

Owner: City of Irving/Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau

Owners Project Manager: Beck Group

Architect: RMJM Hillier Architecture

Construction Manager: Austin Commercial

Structural Engineer: Datum Engineers

MEP Engineer: Vanderweil

Civil Engineer: Jacobs Carter Burgess

Operators: SMG Worldwide

Adjoining Venues

3,500 seat concert venue, 215,000 square feet of restaurants, retail, cinema and a convention center hotel.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.irvingtexas.com/Meetings/ConventionCenter/ Irving Convention Center]
* [http://www.irvingtexas.com/meetings/conventioncenter/video Video of the Convention Center]
* http://www.hotel-online.com/News/2008_Jul_24/k.DAE.1216920682.html
* http://www.rmjmpress.com/2008/07/29/design-for-new-texas-convention-center-unveiled
* http://www.datumengineers.com/current-projects/irving-convention-center.html
* http://cityofirving.org/news-articles/convention-center-082008.html
* http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/876250.html
* http://www.neighborsgo.com/stories/18599
* http://www.hillier.com/about/template1.asp?section=news&storyId=95
* http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-irvdistrict_24wes.ART0.North.Edition1.4d92b5f.html
* http://recenter.tamu.edu/mnews/newsSearch.asp?MODE=RECON&CID=2250
* http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=24460712
* http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=939
* http://www.lascolinasonline.com/