US Convention Centers

In the past decade public spending on convention centers has doubled to $2.4 billion annually, and since 1990 convention space in the US has increased by more than 50 percent. The following is DesignIntelligence’s list of the largest US convention centers with their requisite architectural statistics.

Convention Center	Location	Architects (original)	Opened	Architects (expansion)	Square Feet
America's Center	St. Louis, MO	Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum	1977	Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, 1993 and 1995 expansions	502,000
AmericasMart Atlanta	Atlanta, GA	Edwards and Portman, Architects (Merchandise Mart)	1961	Edwards and Portman, Architects, 1968 Merchandise Mart addition; John Portman & Associates, Architects, 1979 Apparel Mart, 1986 Merchandise Mart addition, 1989 Apparel Mart addition, 1992 Gift Mart; John Portman & Associates, 2009 Building 2 WestWing	800,000
Anaheim Convention Center	Anaheim, CA	Adrian Wilson & Associates	1967	HNTB Architecture, 1974, 1982, 1990, and 1993 expansions; HOK Sport + Venue + Event, 1999-2001 expansion	815,000
Atlantic City Convention Center	Atlantic City, NJ	Wallace Roberts & Todd	1997		518,300
Austin Convention Center	Austin, TX	PageSoutherlandPage	1992	Austin Collaborative Venture (PageSoutherlandPage; Cotera Kolar Negrete & Reed Architects; Limbacher & Godfrey Architects), 2002 expansion	246,097
Baltimore Convention Center	Baltimore, MD	NBBJ with Cochran, Stephenson & Donkervoet	1979	LMN Architects with Cochran, Stephenson & Donkervoet, 1996 expansion	300,000
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center	Boston, MA	HNTB Architecture/Rafael Viñoly Architects, joint venture	2004		516,000
Charlotte Convention Center	Charlotte, NC	Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with The FWA Group	1995		280,000
Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center	Detroit, MI	Giffels & Rossetti	1960	Sims-Varner & Associates, 1989 expansion	700,000
Colorado Convention Center	Denver, CO	Fentress Bradburn Architects	1990	Fentress Bradburn Architects, 2004 expansion	584,000
Dallas Convention Center	Dallas, TX	Harrell + Hamilton Architects (adapted and expanded the 1957 Dallas Memorial Auditorium by George L. Dahl Architects and Engineers Inc.)	1973	OmniPlan, 1984 expansion; JPJ Architects, 1994 expansion; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and HKS Inc., 2002 expansion	726,726
David L. Lawrence Convention Center	Pittsburgh, PA	Rafael Viñoly Architects	2003		313,400
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center	Rosemont, IL	Anthony M. Rossi Limited	1974	Anthony M. Rossi Limited, subsequent expansions	840,000
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center	New Orleans, LA	Perez & Associates and Perkin & James	1985	Perez & Associates and Billes/Manning Architects, 1991 expansion; Convention Center III Architects (Cimini, Meric, Duplantier Architects/Planners, Billes/Manning Architects, and Hewitt Washington & Associates), 1999 expansion	1.1 M
Fort Worth Convention Center	Fort Worth, TX	Parker Croston	1968	Carter & Burgess, Inc. and HOK Sport + Venue + Event, 2003 addition	253,226
George R. Brown Convention Center	Houston, TX	Goleman & Rolfe Associates, Inc.; John S. Chase; Molina & Associates; Haywood Jordan McCowan, Inc.; Moseley Associates with Bernard Johnson and 3D/International	1987	Golemon & Bolullo Architects, 2003 expansion	893,590
Georgia World Congress Center	Atlanta, GA	Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates	1976	Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, 1985 and 1992 expansions, Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with Heery International, Inc., 2003 expansion	1.4 M
Greater Columbus Convention Center	Columbus, OH	Eisenman Architects with Richard Trott & Partners	1993	Eisenman Architects, Karlsberger Companies, and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, 2001 expansion	426,000
Hawaii Convention Center	Honolulu, HI	LMN Architects with Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo	1996		204,249
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center	San Antonio, TX	Noonan and Krocker; Phelps and Simmons and Associates	1968	Cerna Raba & Partners, 1986 expansion; Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with Kell Muñoz Architects, and Haywood Jordon McCowan, Inc, 2001 expansion	440,000
Indianapolis Convention Center & RCA Dome	Indianapolis, IN	Lennox, James and Loebl (Lennox, Matthews, Simmons and Ford; James Associates; Loebl Schlossman Bennett & Dart)	1972	Blackburn Architects and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects with Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, 1993 and 2001 expansions; RATIO Architects with BSA LifeStructures, Blackburn Architects, and Domain Architecture Inc., 2011 expansion	567,000
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center	New York, NY	I.M. Pei & Partners	1986		814,000
Kansas City Convention Center	Kansas City, MO	C.F. Murphy Associates with Seligson Associates, Hormer and Blessing and Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff	1976	Convention Center Associates, Architects; BNIM Architects; HNTB Architecture, 1994 expansion	388,800
Las Vegas Convention Center	Las Vegas, NV	Adrian Wilson & Associates with Harry Whitney Consulting Architect	1959	Jack Miller & Associates, 1967 South Hall; Adrian Wilson & Associates, 1971 C3 expansion; Jack Miller & Associates, 1975 C4 expansion; JMA Architecture, 1980 C5 expansion and 1990 expansion; Domingo Cambeiro Corp. Architects, 1998 North Hall and 2002 South Hall	2 M
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center	Long Beach, CA	Killingsworth, Brady, Smith and Associates	1978	Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, 1994 expansion	224,000
Los Angeles Convention Center	Los Angeles, CA	Charles Luckman & Associates	1972	Pei Cobb Freed & Partners with Gruen Associates, 1993 expansion; Gruen Associates, 1997 Kentia Hall addition	720,000
Mandalay Bay Convention Center	Las Vegas, NV	Klai Juba Architects	2003		934,731
McCormick Place	Chicago, IL	C.F. Murphy Associates	1971	Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill, 1986 North Hall; Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with Architects Enterprise, 1996 South Hall; Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates and Mc4West, 2007 West Hall	2.2 M
Miami Beach Convention Center	Miami Beach, FL	B. Robert Swartburg	1958	Gilbert M. Fein, 1968 Hall D; Edward Durrell Stone & Associates, Gilbert M. Fein, and Watson, Deutschmann, Kruse & Lyon, 1974 addition; Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with Borrelli, Frankel, Biltstein, 1989 and 1991 expansions	503,000
Minneapolis Convention Center	Minneapolis, MN	Leonard Parker Associates; Setter Leach & Lindstrom; LMN Architects	1989	Convention Center Design Group (Leonard Parker Associates; Setter Leach & Lindstrom; LMN Architects), 2001 expansion	475,000
Moscone Center	San Francisco, CA	Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum	1981	Gensler/DMJM Associate Architects, joint venture, 1992 North Hall; Gensler/Michael Willis Architects/Kwan Henmi Architecture, joint venture, 2003 West Hall	741,308
Orange County Convention Center	Orlando, FL	Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects, Inc.	1983	Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum and Vickey/Ovresat Assumb Associates, Inc., 1989-90 expansion; Hunton Brady Pryor Maso Architects and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, 1996 expansion; Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects, Inc., Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc. and Hunton Brady Pryor Maso Architects, 2003 expansion	2.1 M
Oregon Convention Center	Portland, OR	Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership	1990	Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, 2003 expansion	315,000
Pennsylvania Convention Center	Philadelphia, PA	Thompson, Ventulett & Stainback Associates with Vitetta Group and Kelly/Maiello Architects and Planners (including the adaption of the 1893 Reading Terminal Headhouse by Wilson Brothers and F.H. Kimball)	1993	tvsdesign with Vitetta Group and Kelly/Maiello Architects and Planners, original design and 2011 expansion	679,000
Phoenix Convention Center	Phoenix, AZ	GSAS, Architects and Planners, Inc. with Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff	1985	Leo A Daly/HOK Sport + Venue + Event with van Dijk Westlake Reed Leskosky, 2006 expansion; HOK Venue and SmithGroup, 2008 North Building	502,500
Reliant Center	Houston, TX	Hermes Reed Architects	2004		706,213
Reno-Sparks Convention Center	Reno, NV	Richard Neutra with Lockard, Casazza & Parsons	1965	Parsons Design Group, 1981 North Hall; Sheehan, Van Woert Architects, 1991 East Hall; LMN Architects, 2002 expansion	381,000
Salt Palace Convention Center	Salt Lake City, UT	Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates with GSBS Architects	1996	Leonard Parker Associates with MHTB Architects, 2000 expansion; Edwards & Daniels Architects, Inc., 2006 expansion	515,000
San Diego Convention Center	San Diego, CA	Arthur Erickson Architect with Deems Lewis McKinley	1989	HNTB Architecture with Tucker Sadler Architects, 2002 expansion	615,701
Tampa Convention Center	Tampa, FL	Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum	1990		200,000
Washington Convention Center	Washington, DC	TVS–D&P–Mariani PLLC (Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates; Devrouax & Purnell Architects; and Mariani Architects Engineers)	2003		703,000
Washington State Convention and Trade Center	Seattle, WA	TRA Architects	1988	LMN Architects, 2001 expansion	205,700