Design Studio VI Convention Center Design Brief

B. Arch. III/II August, 2020

Project: Convention Center

Introduction
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where
individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. A convention center
typically offers sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees. Very large
venues, suitable for major trade shows, are sometimes known as exhibition halls. Convention
centers typically have at least one auditorium besides exhibition halls, and may also contain
concert halls, lecture halls, meeting rooms and conference rooms.

Types
1. Meeting facilities with lodging: hotels that include their own convention space in addition
to accommodation and other related facilities, known as convention hotels.
2. Meeting facilities without lodging: are convention centers that do not include
accommodation; usually located adjacent to or near a hotel(s).
3. Other: any convention and meeting facilities designed to hold large numbers of people.
Can exist alone (e.g., stadiums, arenas, parks, etc.) or within other structures (e.g.,
university lecture halls, museums, theaters). Usually do not include accommodation.
(Source: http:// https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_center)

Context
Trade fairs, Conventions and Exhibitions has been playing vital and emerging role in this era. In
promotion of any type of product and services, exhibitions have proved to be an intensive
method to reach towards the customer. The social forms of Hatt-Bazzar and MelaPaat, lots
of cultural street programs occurring on open "dabalis" mark the beginning of exhibition in
Nepal. In this context, in 1992 Nepal's First Commercial Exhibition had been organized
by “House of Raj Karnicar” (Source: https://rajkarnicar.com/), and visitors welcoming it showed vast
interest. Since then, these kinds of commercial trade fairs are increasing year by year. Hence,
from past few years, exhibitors, event organizers and even customers are seeking the
need of an international standard Exhibition/Convention Center in order to enhance the
promotion of exportable products.
Nepal, having a rich natural beauty and temperate atmosphere, wide range of
multinational companies and exhibitors are willing to arrange international level trade fairs,
conferences and similar events from past few years. But due to lack of proper management
and location/facilities, there is a threat of loss of this charm.

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Design Studio VI Convention Center Design Brief
B. Arch. III/II August, 2020

The Existing Venues for Trade Fairs, Exhibitions and Conventions in Nepal
With the growth in the trade and economy of the country in the recent years, fairs, expos
and even small scaled exhibitions have become one of the popular means of trade
promotion and awareness schemes. In today's scenario, there is only one centre providing
proper exhibition facilities in Nepal, the Bhrikuti Mandap (35,000 sq. ft exhibition area). But with
the changing time, it seems to be ineffective and insufficient in meeting the level of an
international standard exhibition center. Besides that, Birendra International Convention
Center (BICC) at New Baneshwor (currently used as National Assembly Hall) is mainly
designed to provide convention and conference facilities yet used to house different
exhibitions due to lack of proper venues. Direction Nepal, an event design and
management company set up in 2002, is providing corporate event management facilities
in the "Direction Exhibition and Convention Center" (25,450 sq. ft) housed in UWTC
Building, Tripureshwor. The inadequacies of exhibition centers thus justify us to embark in design
of a proper exhibition and convention centre.

About the Project

Students are required to design international level Convention Center with primary and
secondary activities as mention below.
Primary Activity
ENTERING includes Information Desk, Main Lobby, Ticketing Booth, Security checkpoint.
ASSEMBLYING includes Assembly Hall, Function Hall, and Conference Room.
EXHIBITING includes Pre-function Lobby, Function hall, Storage area.
PERFORMING includes Stage, Backstage, and Storage.
Secondary Activity
COOKING includes Kitchen, Loading Dock, Café, and Banquet Hall.

WORKING includes Staff, Securing, and Maintenance.

PARKING includes Outdoor parking, Reserved parking, Loading, Indoor parking.

Objectives
The objectives of this project are:
- To learn a process oriented method of design.
- To deal with the mass movement, linkage between ASSEMBLYING, EXHIBITING and
PERFORMING area with recreational and commercial area along with administration.
- To deal with site context in terms of climate, topography and different structural
possibilities.
- To deal with structural (long span structure) and architectural possibilities with regards to
volumes, planes, color, texture and materials…….

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Design Studio VI Convention Center Design Brief
B. Arch. III/II August, 2020

Student Activity and Requirements

Students need to do literature studies (Time saver standards and other sources as applicable),
Case study on existing Convention centers, so as to gather enough knowledge and information
for the later design phase. Well compiled report must be submitted on the day of case study /
Literature presentation.

Following are general requirements that the students are to include in their case study as well as
their design. Students are suggested to improve and add other relevant services and spaces
according to their design.

- Assembly Hall – 1 (1500 People Capacity)

- Exhibition Hall- 2 nos.(Min. Area: 700 sq.m. each)
- Administrative Block
- Commercial Space (Including outlets, restaurant, café etc….)
- Parking, Services etc……

Literature Review
Students are required to do literature search (review) on Convention Center and various aspects
related to it.
Scope of Study:
- Information about Activity in Convention center
- Different spaces for mass movement and their layouts
- Material, structural Technology and Services (Electrical, Sanitary etc)
- Energy Efficiency in design, Safety measures (Fire safety, escape routes etc.)

Case Studies
Students are strongly recommended to do as many case studies as possible related to the
project’s program requirements and planning. The students can study the existing case or
alternatively do via books/ magazines/ reports/ internet etc i.e. secondary source.
Each group needs to do a case study on min. two case studies for each program, including
national or international cases. Students are encouraged to pay attention on descriptive and
analytical study with comparative analysis during this study, rather than just gathering of
information.

(Note: Due to pandemic situation, students can take secondary data source for case study.)

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Design Studio VI Convention Center Design Brief
B. Arch. III/II August, 2020

Schedule of Online Consultation Class and Presentation

S. No Date Stage Description Remarks

1
nd
2 Bhadra, 2077 Design Brief, Group Formation,
Class Introduction
Literature study and Case study
th th
2 5 ,9 Bhadra, Discussion on Literature study and
consultation
2077 Case study
presentation on study,
Work Progress
4 12th Bhadra, 2077 Literature study and Case study, Evaluation
Evaluation
Program formulation
Discussion on Literature study,
th th
5 16 ,19 Bhadra, consultation Case study and Program
2077 formulation
Final Presentation on Literature Evaluation/
rd Presentation
7 23 Bhadra, 2077 study, Case study and Program Report
(PowerPoint)
formulation Submission

(Note: The Further Schedule will be notified later.)

Course Instructors:
Asso. Prof. Shailita Manandhar Asso. Prof. Subash Phuyal Lec. Sagun Maharjan

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