Architect:  Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock Architects, Inc. in association with Hunton Brady Pryor Maso Architects P.A., and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc.

For over 18 years, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) has served its visitors as a venue for both cultural and business events. During that time, the facility has undergone four extensive expansion periods. The fifth, the OCCC´s new North/South building, was officially inaugurated in November in conjunction with the IAPPA and ETS-LDI exhibitions.  

The opening celebration involved an all-day concert and BLOCCCK party festival. As part of the event, the new North/South building’s façade was dynamically lit in ever-changing shades of color. The dynamic color change served as both an eye-catching announcement to the community and beacon of celebration.

Local dignitaries, convention personnel and curious onlookers gathered in the early hours of Friday, November 21st for the lighting reveal. Some 24 Exterior 600 were used to outline the building’s two prominent “clamshell” arches, each layered five deep, while 26 Exterior 200 long barrel and 33 Exterior 200 with PC lenses were used to illuminate a series of upright columns along the façade. Lighting supply was by PRG Orlando.  

Wireless control
Martin US’s Projects Coordinator Carl Wake was instrumental in both the lighting design and lighting programming. The dynamic lighting was controlled via a PC-based LightJockey system with interactive technology radio DMX using two transmitters and two receivers. Data was distributed via five ether2DMX Ethernet routers in conjunction with the backbone of the building’s networking system.

The expansion coincides with a new marketing and sales initiative by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Convention Center authorities liked the illumination so much they’re considering lighting the domes permanently.

The building design team, which includes three architectural firms that have worked on previous expansion phases of the Center, was headed by Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock Architects, Inc. in association with Hunton Brady Pryor Maso Architects P.A., and Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates, Inc., of Atlanta, GA.

The North/South building adds over 950,000 gross square feet of exhibition space, which makes the Orange County Convention Center the second largest convention center in the country. This provides an enormous 2.1 million square feet of exhibition space all connected by a 1,500-foot long, open-air walkway across International Drive.