Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

San Antonio, Texas, United States

  • Typologies

    Convention and Exhibition Centers

  • Building Activities

    Conferences & Expos

  • Services

    Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design

  • Completion

    2016

CHALLENGE. The $325-million expansion and renovation of San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center focused on flexibility, connectivity and sustainability to create a convention center experience that showcases San Antonio’s rapidly growing downtown and vibrant culture. The project challenged us to find a creative way to connect the convention center with new transit systems, surrounding development and the recently-redesigned Hemisfair Park.

INNOVATION. The flexibility and connectivity of the project can be summed up by the addition of state-of-the-art exhibition and event spaces, from the 800,000 square feet of new construction to adding more than 78,000 square feet in the existing building to better accommodate larger, more varied events.

  • The convention center connects with its city like few others.

The expansion also shifts the building east, opening the convention center up to the new Hemisfair Park and exposing the River Walk to convention attendees. The expansion’s defining feature is a cantilevered room suspended over Market Street that is unlike anything currently found in the United States.

Additionally, the largest public indoor courtyard space in San Antonio was added to provide greater connectivity to the city’s urban core, while giving convention center visitors an incredible space to relax and refresh. This blending of indoors and outdoors was also carried out by the expansive balconies that provide visitors with sweeping views of San Antonio.

IMPACT. The new Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center secures San Antonio’s competitive position among convention centers nationwide by providing a flexible urban experience that projects the character and spirit of the city and its citizens.

This transformation has been truly phenomenal. It’s an absolute gem.

Casandra Matej / Visit San Antonio President/CEO
Facts and Figures
LEED Certification
Silver
Overall new construction
800,000 sf
New exhibition space
260,000 sf
Ballroom size
54,000 sf
Awards
2016
National Award of Merit - Civic/Assembly Category; Design-Build Institute of America
Project Team
Connect with the designers

Todd Voth

Michael Lockwood

Daniel Wood

Kevin Koch

Danielle May

Phil Kolbo

Adam Paulitsch

Lyle Miller