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By Michael Ezell, AIA
In November 2005, the Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) opened its doors,
becoming a new player in the highly competitive trade show marketplace. As a
full-service convention facility, the PRCC is now serving as the centerpiece
of the new Puerto Rico Convention District.
Design Details
The PRCC presented a unique opportunity for the TVS design team and their
partners, Jimenez + Rodriguez (JRB). The opportunity: Design a distinctive
facility with state-of-the-art technology that will represent a
forward-looking Puerto Rico to the international business travel and tourism
industries. San Juan-based JRB was the convention center architect of
record, and TVS was programming and design lead, as well as designer of the
interiors.
 The
center’s design is rooted in a Puerto Rican sense of place and presents an
experience that instantly recalls colors, textures and images from Puerto
Rico’s unique culture and Caribbean location. The PRCC welcomes arrivals
with dramatic waveform roofs and an expansive outdoor room as its arrival
lobby.
Set on an abandoned military base on San Juan’s Isla Grande peninsula, the
full-service convention center is built on three levels to accommodate
10,000 attendees. It includes a total 580,000 square feet of space,
including a 150,000-sq.-ft. exhibit hall, a 40,000-sq.-ft. ballroom and
breakout rooms.
 Approaching
the convention center, visitors get panoramic views of Old San Juan, the
beaches and the sea. This theme continues with the steel and glass shell
roofs that float effortlessly above the building. Composed of two thin shell
elements, the roofs dramatically combine beauty and purpose. The high roof
provides a spectacular cover for the outdoor pre-function areas directly in
front of the entrance.
This 3,800-ton steel roof evokes the image of a sea wave while spanning 375
feet and reaching a height of 130 feet. The intermediate roof covers indoor
pre-function areas and extends over the length of the ballroom to create one
of the world’s most memorable ballroom spaces. The entire structure is
designed to resist Category 5 hurricanes and Zone 3 seismic winds. The
wind-resistant center is clad in glass, silver metallic panels, handchiseled
granite and brightly colored stucco.
The extensive use of fountains and tropical landscaping complements the
contemporary look of the facility. Tourism clients have nicknamed the
facility “Techno-Tropic” to describe the fusion of new technology with
Puerto Rico’s island beauty.
 The
design team extended water and ocean imagery into the detail of the
facility’s interior. Attendees encounter a 13-story glass wall as they enter
the facility. As they continue onto the terrazzo lobby floor, the colors are
reminiscent of ocean waves and the sea shore. Further into the facility, the
carpeting takes on the more vibrant, richer blues and greens of the
indigenous rainforest.
To capitalize on the scenic views of Old San Juan and the Caribbean Sea, TVS
designed all of the functional spaces to face the sea. Adjacent to the
ballroom pre-function space is an open outdoor terrace, covered by the
sweeping wave-form roof. The space is large enough for 1,300 people to enjoy
views overlooking San Juan Bay and the dramatic fountains and park that
surround the building entrance plaza.
Upon entering the ballroom, guests encounter one of the world’s largest
chandeliers, which reinterprets the play of moonlight reflected in rolling
midnight seas. The richly appointed grand ballroom is designed with easy
access to a balcony with sound and lighting controls and simultaneous
translation booths.
 Appealing
to the high-tech desires of convention attendees, the PRCC is the largest
and most technologically advanced convention center in the Caribbean and
Latin America. Broadband and wireless Internet access, video conferencing,
controllable lighting and simultaneous language translation were important
elements to the design program. The exhibition space includes controllable
lighting, full fiber-optic and Internet connectivity, and readily accessible
electrical and utility connections.
The center’s 28 breakout rooms also offer state-of-the-art technology. These
rooms total 36,200 square feet and are designed with curving ceilings, rich
woods, stucco walls and artistic glass.
A Business Case
The PRCC is proving itself as a successful business hub for Puerto Rico. The
new Convention Center District is slated to elevate Puerto Rico to a new
level of trade and tourism. Built on 113 acres, the District is the largest
American waterfront project. It is becoming a multiuse urban center,
combining business and entertainment. Once completed, the District will
include meeting spaces, recreation, education and entertainment venues as
well as residential, retail and office space and a wide-range of premier
accommodation options with an estimated 1,700 hotel rooms.
Michael Ezell, AIA is a
principal with TVS, a design firm with offices in Atlanta, Chicago and
Dubai, and design lead of the Puerto Rico Convention Cent |
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