Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is the name given to two adjacent buildings next to the Yarra River
in South Wharf
, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. Owner and manager of the venues is the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust.
Melbourne Exhibition Centre and the Melbourne Convention Centre.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is also responsible for managing, promoting, and the use of the Royal Exhibition Building
in the Carlton Gardens
. As a government-owned trust, The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is responsible to the Minister for Tourism.
It has a pillarless floor space of 30,000 square metres, making it the largest pillarless floor space in the southern hemisphere
. This building is also known as "Jeff's Shed" after the then premier of Victoria
, Jeff Kennett
.
The building was designed by Denton Corker Marshall
, an architectural firm responsible for many of Melbourne's larger buildings through the early 1990s, and features their characteristic "blade" entrance. In 1998 a covered footbridge was erected between the Exhibition and Convention centres, parallel to the Spencer Street Bridge
.
was opened in May 1990 and has hosted thousands of conventions and meetings.. The building was originally intended to be used by the Melbourne Museum
but Jeff Kennett intervened during construction to have the building used as a convention centre.
The new Convention Centre, on land adjacent to the Exhibition Centre, was completed in 2009. At a cost of A$1 billion, the development consists of a 5541 seat Plenary Hall that can be divided into three separate theatres, 32 meeting rooms of various sizes, a grand banquet room as well as a Hilton
hotel, office, residential and retail space. It was developed by a consortium led by Brookfield Multiplex and Plenary Group and designed by Larry Oltmanns. The new centre uses a range of features in order to achieve a 6 Star Green Star
environmental rating and to become the first convention centre in the world with that rating. The architects for the development were NH Architecture and Woods Bagot
.
The new Melbourne Convention Centre was awarded the Australian Construction Achievement Award
in 2010.
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
in South Wharf
South Wharf, Victoria
South Wharf is a small inner suburb of Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne.South Wharf is located on the southern bank of the Yarra River, bounded by Clarendon Street, Normanby Road, the West Gate Freeway and Docklands Highway. Gazetted...
, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Owner and manager of the venues is the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust.
Management
The Melbourne Exhibition Centre Trust was created in August 1994 with the responsibility of overseeing the construction and development of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. On 5 February 1997 the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust began, replacing the previous trust with the added scope of the Melbourne Convention Centre, formerly called the World Congress Centre Melbourne. In August 1997 the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust became owner and venue manager of both theMelbourne Exhibition Centre and the Melbourne Convention Centre.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is also responsible for managing, promoting, and the use of the Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...
in the Carlton Gardens
Carlton Gardens, Melbourne
The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of the Central Business District in the suburb of Carlton, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. As a government-owned trust, The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust is responsible to the Minister for Tourism.
Melbourne Exhibition Centre
The Melbourne Exhibition Centre was opened on 14 February 1996, and hosts thousands of large exhibitions, some being annual events.It has a pillarless floor space of 30,000 square metres, making it the largest pillarless floor space in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. This building is also known as "Jeff's Shed" after the then premier of Victoria
Premiers of Victoria
The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
, Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
.
The building was designed by Denton Corker Marshall
Denton Corker Marshall
Denton Corker Marshall is a major award-winning Australian architecture practice established in Melbourne in 1972. It was founded by architects John Denton, Bill Corker, and Barrie Marshall...
, an architectural firm responsible for many of Melbourne's larger buildings through the early 1990s, and features their characteristic "blade" entrance. In 1998 a covered footbridge was erected between the Exhibition and Convention centres, parallel to the Spencer Street Bridge
Spencer Street Bridge
The Spencer Street Bridge is a road and tram bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It connects Spencer Street on the north bank with Clarendon Street on the south....
.
Melbourne Convention Centre
The old Convention Centre on the opposite side of the Yarra RiverYarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
was opened in May 1990 and has hosted thousands of conventions and meetings.. The building was originally intended to be used by the Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent the Royal Exhibition Building.It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a venue of Museum Victoria, which also operates the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum.The museum has seven main...
but Jeff Kennett intervened during construction to have the building used as a convention centre.
The new Convention Centre, on land adjacent to the Exhibition Centre, was completed in 2009. At a cost of A$1 billion, the development consists of a 5541 seat Plenary Hall that can be divided into three separate theatres, 32 meeting rooms of various sizes, a grand banquet room as well as a Hilton
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
hotel, office, residential and retail space. It was developed by a consortium led by Brookfield Multiplex and Plenary Group and designed by Larry Oltmanns. The new centre uses a range of features in order to achieve a 6 Star Green Star
Green Star (Australia)
Green Star is a voluntary environmental rating system for buildings in Australia. It was launched in 2003 by the Green Building Council of Australia....
environmental rating and to become the first convention centre in the world with that rating. The architects for the development were NH Architecture and Woods Bagot
Woods Bagot
Woods Bagot is a global design studio specialising in the design and planning of facilities across three key sectors: education and science, lifestyle, and workplace....
.
The new Melbourne Convention Centre was awarded the Australian Construction Achievement Award
Australian Construction Achievement Award
The Australian Construction Achievement Award is the Australian construction industry’s most prestigious award presented annually since 1997....
in 2010.