Hawaii Convention Center

Located at the gateway to Waikiki, the 1.1 million sq. ft. Hawaii Convention Center embodies a modern “Hawaiian Sense of Place” on a 10-acre site, with its double pitched Hawaiian roof, soaring canopies recalling Polynesian canoe sails, and steel beams resembling palm trees. It has been the recipient of numerous awards for its innovative design, including being voted the most beautiful convention center in the world by The International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE).

The main structure is framed of structural steel on a pre-stressed pile foundation with a tension glass wall system. A “super truss” system allows the ground floor to house the 200,000 sq. ft. registration lobby and exhibition area. The second floor contains parking for 805 vehicles. The third floor houses fifty meeting rooms totaling 104,000 sq. ft. and two full-sized amphitheatres. The fourth floor provides 36,000 sq. ft. of banquet area that opens to a 2.5-acre rooftop garden with water features.

This design-build project was the largest single construction contract undertaken by the State of Hawaii. The winning contractor/architect team was selected through an international competition in which the public was able to vote. As such, Nordic PCL had to guarantee costs based solely on the competition drawings which were developed in just over 2 months. Despite a tight schedule of only 750 working days, the facility was turned over on budget and a month ahead of schedule.