Populous reveals images of Los Angeles Convention Center "decades in the making"
US architecture studio Populous has revealed images of the expansion to the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown Los Angeles in conjunction with the project's groundbreaking, which took place earlier this month.
The expansion encompasses wedging a new building between the two existing major wings of the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), which would span over the city's Pico Boulevard throughfare.
"The project, which has been decades in the making, will unify and transform the LACC into a premier global convention destination, cementing its place at the heart of Downtown Los Angeles," said Populous.
Images show a rectangular building spanning between the LACC's semi-circular South Hall and the West Hall across the street. Towards the back, the building's roof curves into a slim hook, which wraps around an open terrace.
Like the pre-existing halls, the 190,000-square-foot (17,650 square metre) expansion will primarily contain exhibition spaces, while a 98,000-square-foot (9,000 square metre) ballroom is also planned for the rooftop level.
Interior renderings show a sunken space located underneath a large skylight at the centre of the terrace. The space contains an open atrium and mezzanines clad in white.
Another rendering shows a low-lying ceiling covering a display of vehicles.
The groundbreaking comes after a decade of stops and starts on the project, which has a ballooning cost and has been stalled over the years.
The city of Los Angeles stresses the project's importance in bringing money and jobs into the Downtown Los Angeles area, claiming that the project is set "to create more than 15,000 jobs, generate $652 million in tax revenue, and bring in $150 million in additional visitor spending" as a tourist destination.
"A new era of LA begins today," said executive director of the LA City Tourism Department Doane Liu at the groundbreaking on 1 October.
"This is a significant milestone as we signal to the world that LA is ready to invest in itself and committed to being a world-class destination with a thriving tourism industry."
Populus is leading design on the project, while its developer is Plenary Americas, and the general contractor is a joint venture of PCL Construction and Webcor Construction.
Construction is slated "for substantial completion" by spring 2028 in preparation for the city hosting the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with final delivery expected in spring 2029.
Other major projects in progress in Los Angeles include a multi-tower project by BIG and a redevelopment of Television City by Foster + Partners. Amidst the development, the city is still recovering from wildfires earlier this year that destroyed more than 15,000 structures and killed at least 30 people.
The images are by Populous courtesy of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
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