North America’s first high-rise convention centre to open in January

The Seattle Convention Centre’s (SCC) $2 billion downtown addition, named Summit, will commence its opening celebrations on 25 January. The centre is set to be North America’s first high-rise convention centre, having begun construction in 2018. This addition will almost double the capacity of the Seattle Convention Centre, adding 573,770 square feet of event space. The centre will include 62 meeting rooms; a 58,000 sq. ft. ballroom featuring 3,900 planks of reclaimed wood; and 248,450 sq. ft. of exhibit space. The stacked configuration of Summit is expected to maximise the efficiency of the site and the flow of attendees between event spaces. Frank Finneran, chair of the SCC Board of Directors, said: “This project was more complex and difficult than building in the suburbs, but the vision has now become a reality.” According to the centre, there are 58 events booked in the Summit space with an additional eight using both it and the Arch, which it hopes will increase the economic impact of the centre on the Seattle region. Visit Seattle has stated that more building in the city is expected: “Summit is just the latest piece in a tapestry of new Seattle offerings that will welcome visitors and meeting attendees into the central fabric of our community.” Community credentials Having utilised environmentally friendly design elements during construction and planning, with more enhancements planned, Summit has been projected to achieve LEED Gold certification. The design elements include using sustainably sourced, recycled materials throughout the building, such as plant-based acoustic ceiling tiles and bio-based fabric panels. The rooftop incorporates solar panels which are anticipated to improve the building’s energy performance by 30% over the baseline rating. A rainwater harvesting system will reduce irrigation usage by a projected 89%. According to the site, its history ties in with sustainability by using reclaimed wood from a business formerly part of the construction site. The centre has additionally stated that it will provide a $93m benefits package for area residents via affordable public housing, public art and open spaces, and improvements to the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure. Approximately $40m of the investment package was dedicated to the creation and preservation of affordable housing units: a legacy initiative that continued from the construction of the Arch building. Thus far, nearly $150m in work scopes have been awarded to these businesses owned by minorities and women, more than doubling the initial goal.