Adelaide Convention

Centre

Background
State Government commitment
The State Government announced its commitment to the
redevelopment of the Adelaide Convention Centre in 2010,
allocating $397 million to the project.
The redevelopment will re-establish Adelaide as one of the
premier conference destinations, ensuring its continued
competitiveness in national and international markets and
contributing significantly to South Australia’s economic and
tourism growth.
The project is also a crucial part of the State Government’s
vision for a revitalised Riverbank Entertainment Precinct,
complementing other substantial infrastructure investment
such as Adelaide Oval, and the new Footbridge over the
River Torrens and as well as the new Royal Adelaide
Hospital.
The Adelaide Convention Centre, built in 1987 and
extended in 2001, was Australia’s first purpose built
convention facility. It was the catalyst for a new industry
nationally that today is worth $17 billion per year for
Australia (per National Business Events Study November
2004), with South Australia’s share $1.7 billion (ACTA
2007).
The Adelaide Convention Centre has been an economic
success story for South Australia.
 The Centre is a multi-award winning venue with an
internationally renowned reputation.
 It hosts over 28,000 visiting international and national
delegates per annum, equating to more than 100,000
bed nights.
  Over the last two decades, the Centre has generated
around $960 million in direct economic benefits to the
State from delegate spend and associated tourism.
 It consistently self funds its operations and provides
significant annual return to government.
 With the 2001 extension it has also become a major
part of the city’s “postcard image”.
Whilst the Centre has been operating successfully in a
highly competitive global convention and exhibition industry,
this market is changing rapidly, with clients demanding
larger, multi-purpose spaces with the latest in facility quality
and service.
The redevelopment will ensure the continued
competitiveness of the Convention Centre and is estimated
to generate an estimated $4.3 billion in tourism and related
economic activity during the next two decades.

Project Objectives and Scope

The State Government’s commitment to the redevelopment
of the ACC and its environs in 2010 recognised the vital
importance of the centre and the Riverbank Entertainment
Precinct to the State’s economic and tourism growth. The
redevelopment is cost effective and will provide the State
Government with a return on investment in more than
simple economic terms. Specifically it will:
 enable the ACC to continue to grow its business and
compete effectively nationally and internationally in the
convention and exhibition market;
  further enhance Adelaide's national and international
brand - the ‘post card’ image for the City and South
Australia;
 reinforce the role of ACC as a major catalyst of
economic and tourism activity for the State; and
 assist in unlocking the full potential of the city’s
Riverbank Entertainment Precinct, complementing
other significant Stage Government investment in this
vital area.
The project is being delivered over a six year timeframe to
mid-2017 and across two stages to minimise disruption and
loss of revenue to the Centre’s ongoing operations.
The first stage expands the existing facility to the West
above the railway lines and linking the new structure to the
Montefiore Road Bridge. The second stage replaces the
existing plenary building, first constructed in the 1980s, with
a new state of the art, multi-purpose facility.
The design responds to a detailed functional brief to deliver
maximum flexibility and adaptability. The redeveloped
Adelaide Convention Centre will be a fully integrated facility,
incorporating 3 distinct and individually iconic buildings,
which internally flow to allow 1 single event or 3 separate
events concurrently.
Key features of the expanded Adelaide Convention Centre
will include:
 three distinct and individually iconic buildings which
also flow seamlessly internally to host one single major
event or three separate events concurrently
  a striking shape, roof structures and façade inspired by
the South Australian landscape, particularly the layers,
striations and colours of the cliffs, rock formations and
escarpments of the Flinders Ranges;
 in Stage One, an additional 4,300 square metres of
multipurpose convention floor space, associated pre-
function spaces, multiple meeting spaces and 1000-
seat ballroom built on a “bridge-like” structure over the
railway tracks up to Montefiore Bridge;
 in Stage Two, replacement of the existing plenary
building with a more functional, highly flexible, multi-
purpose facility including capacity for up to 3,500 seats
or 3000 square metres of flat floor spacee;
 a new urban boulevard (Montefiore Bridge) linking
North Terrace to the Riverbank Promenade,
incorporating delegate entry and vehicle drop off
 revitalised and expanded public spaces in and around
the Centre and surrounding buildings, and new
pedestrian linkages to the River.
View the latest video fly through for Adelaide Convention
Centre Redevelopment, August 2013.
The project is being delivered by a multi-disciplinary
consortium including Woods Bagot (architects), Lend Lease
(construction), Aurecon (structural and rail engineering),
Bestec (mechanical and electrical engineering) and Thinc
Projects (project management).