The transformation of San Antonio’s Convention Center, initially built for HemisFair in 1968, introduced state-of-the-art meeting facilities while honoring the site’s history. Located in the heart of historic downtown San Antonio, the building actively engages Market Street, a major thoroughfare. A dynamic facade, shade structures, and a public plaza draw people into the main entry, and a unique cantilevered meeting room hovers above the street to offer stunning views of the city. The western entry, framed by a multi-story mosaic created for the ‘68 World’s Fair, creates a vital pedestrian connection to the River Walk and adjacent Hemisfair Park.
The main entry lobby acts as a hub for social engagement and hospitality, welcoming visitors with art, amenities, and clear wayfinding. In addition to reconfiguring and renovating existing spaces to maximize efficiency, the introduction of 800,000 SF of new exhibit halls, a large ballroom, flexible meeting rooms, and grand lobby allow the Center to accommodate larger, more varied, and simultaneous events. The halls and meeting rooms prioritize functionality and flexibility, utilizing a variety of movable seating types and partitions to allow for extensive customization.
The design was executed within a highly constrained downtown environment, requiring careful space planning, detailed budgeting, phased implementation, and complex coordination. Requiring selective demolition and reconstruction adjacent to occupied facilities, the project successfully maintained ongoing operations while completing a transformation that greatly enhances visitor experience.
