At over 500,000 square feet, the building's mass had the potential of overwhelming the scale of this southern capital city. By locating the Exhibit Hall and truck bays underground including the area beneath three public streets, the solution reduces the building's scale, while placing program elements that do not contribute to pedestrian vitality out of view. This allowed the lobby and concourses to enliven the street and to introduce daylight and downtown views to those important public spaces.

All of the meeting rooms are on the main level with the ballroom on the upper floor, which allows the building to function on a clear intuitive level that adds to the visitor's ease of using the facility. Pulling its exterior material palette - limestone, buff-colored brick, metal, and glass - from the two other important public buildings, the Convention Center engages them in a cross-century visual conversation.