Los Angeles Convention Center, Convention center in Downtown Los Angeles, United States
The Los Angeles Convention Center is a large event venue in downtown Los Angeles that spreads over several connected buildings with exhibition halls and meeting spaces. The complex sits at the southern edge of Downtown, just a few blocks from the Arts District and public transit lines.
Designed by architect Charles Luckman, the Los Angeles Convention Center opened in 1971 as a rectangular building between Pico Boulevard and 11th Street on Figueroa Street. It was expanded in 1981, 1993 and 1997; the northeast portion was demolished in 1997 to make way for the Staples Center. The green-glass and white-steel annex south of Pico was designed by James Ingo Freed. A tornado damaged the roof and upper-level panels on March 1, 1983, and repairs with new lettering signs cost $3 million.
The venue attracts visitors from all sectors of the media industry, including film, television, and animation alongside gaming. Cosplayers and enthusiasts often gather during major public events, dressing as favorite characters and turning the halls into a lively backdrop for fan culture.
Entrances are located on multiple sides of the block, so check in advance which access point is closest to the hall you need. Wheelchair ramps and elevators serve all levels, but security lines may be long during busy trade shows.
The lobby floors of the north half hold two inlaid terrazzo maps of 140,000 square feet each, installed by artist Alexis Smith in 1993. One shows the world centred on the Pacific Rim, the other the constellations around the north celestial pole. The convention center was the first building of its age and size in the U.S. to earn LEED certification for existing buildings, on September 15, 2008.
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