Hot on the heels of last weeks South by SouthwestAustins premier music, film, and media festivalthe city has revealed renderings for a new convention center designed by Seattle-based LMN Architects in collaboration with Page, a Texas firm. The building will replace the existing Austin Convention Center with more substantial facilities, including over 600,000 square feet of rentable event space, 70,000 square feet of public outdoor space, and an underground network of exhibit halls and loading docks. With its $1.6 billion price tag, the project constitutes a massive investment in Austins events infrastructure and signifies the continued growth of the city, which is nearing one million residents. The new building will feature a large public plaza above Waller Creek. (Courtesy LMN Architects)Set between 2nd and 3rd Street, the complex will be subdivided into six component structures integrated with the surrounding streetscape as well as Waller Creek and the larger Waterloo Greenway, a ribbon of park space that runs from the State Capitol to Lady Bird Lake. Renderings of the project depict the use of mass timber roof systems and large spans of glazing, features that also characterize Populouss recently unveiled design for the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. A $17.7 million arts program for the campus will draw from the talent of local Austin artists. The vertical convention center will open the city grid, enhance pedestrian connections, and take advantage of Austins indoor-outdoor culture, said Leonardo da Costa, principal at LMN. Located at the crossroads between downtown and the nature around Waller Creek, the project represents a transformative opportunity for revitalizing and re-connecting Austins vibrant downtown core.The building is located close to phase one of Austins light rail project, which is expected to begin construction in 2027. (Courtesy LMN Architects)In a press release, LMN contends that the structure will be the worlds first zero carbon convention center. This goal will be pursued through the use of mass timber, recycled materials, low-carbon concrete and steel, as well as operational features such as a renewably-powered HVAC system. The project is also designed to comply with Austins Climate Equity Planand is targeting a number of high performance certifications.LMN comes to the project with significant experience in the typology, having designed convention centers in Vancouver, Cleveland, and Seattle.According to LMN, the project will be the worlds first zero carbon convention center. (Courtesy LMN Architects)The new convention center is the latest in a slew of construction activity on the east side of Austins downtown. Across the street, construction is underway for KPFs Waterline tower, which is poised to become the tallest building in Texas. In April, the existing building will close its doors, and the city will be without a convention center until 2029, the projects estimated completion date. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to save artist Margo Sawyers Index for Contemplation, a site-specific artwork housed within the current structure.With the new building, the city hopes to attract larger events while continuing to grow South by Southwest, which is typically headquartered within the convention center.