Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center

• 1. Introduction

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  The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has worn three different names in its lifetime. On the 18th of September 1964, when it still went by Dallas Memorial Auditorium, a bomb threat briefly halted a Beatles concert. No explosive was found, and the show continued. What kind of building draws the Beatles onto its stage, hosts a presidential nomination, and shelters thousands of hurricane refugees? The answer starts in downtown Dallas in 1957.

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• 2. George Dahl's Blueprint

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  George Dahl placed the original Dallas Memorial Auditorium near the intersection of Canton and Akard Streets in 1957. Dahl was already celebrated across Texas for the Art Deco buildings at Fair Park, one of the state's most recognized architectural complexes. The new structure was a standalone multipurpose arena, built to seat 9,816 people. Convention Center additions that came later were designed by Larry Oltmanns, a Design Partner at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The first major expansion came in 1973, led by local firm Omniplan. That work also gave the complex a new name: the Dallas Convention Center.

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• 3. Decades of Expansion

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  A second expansion followed in 1984, and a third came in 1994. Dallas Area Rapid Transit used the 1994 round of work to construct Convention Center Station beneath the facility's west wing. The new station linked the building to the city's Red and Blue light rail lines. The most ambitious renovation came in 2002. Its signature element was a 203,000 sqft column-free exhibit hall, the largest of its kind in the United States. Engineers suspended a steel space frame roof from twin parabolic arches, each 400 feet across and 50 feet tall. Trusses were designed as simple for dead loads but continuous for live loads. When the hall opened, it was the largest column-free space in the world. In May 2009, Dallas voters approved a 1,000-room hotel to be attached directly to the complex. The Omni Dallas opened in late 2011, finishing under budget and ahead of schedule. In 2013, the complex was renamed to honor former US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

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• 4. A Stage for Giants

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  The Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association played in this building from the 1967-68 season through 1972-73. The franchise moved to San Antonio in 1973 and became the San Antonio Spurs. The Jackson 5 performed here on the 22nd of August 1973. Led Zeppelin appeared at the venue six times over the years. On the 1st of April 1977, they opened what proved to be their final American tour together on this stage. Elvis Presley performed at the Dallas Convention Center on the 28th of December 1976. That show was recorded and released on the Follow That Dream collectors label under the title Showtime! In October 1978, Queen brought their US tour to the venue. The music video for "Fat Bottomed Girls" was filmed inside the building. Prince appeared here twice, once in 1981 and again in 2000. The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and Black Sabbath all performed at this venue over the decades. Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Billy Joel, The Who, Grateful Dead, Kansas, Thin Lizzy, Elvis Costello, Madonna, and James Brown also brought their shows here. The 1984 Republican National Convention was next. The building that had hosted Led Zeppelin and Elvis Presley would now be set for a presidential nomination.

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• 5. Convention, Crisis, Community

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  On the 23rd of August 1984, President Ronald Reagan accepted the Republican nomination for a second term at the Dallas Convention Center. In September 2005, the building's role shifted entirely. Together with Reunion Arena, the Convention Center became an emergency shelter for thousands of Hurricane Katrina refugees. The center was called upon again in 2017, when Hurricane Harvey brought a second wave of evacuees to its doors. On the 9th of February 2022, the Dallas City Council voted to begin steps toward demolishing the building. The plan was to replace it with an entirely new convention center.

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• 6. A Future Already Planned

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  The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is scheduled to serve as the International Broadcast Center for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That assignment was made even as the city moves forward with plans to replace the building. The structure spans more than 2,000,000 square feet in total. More than 1,000,000 square feet of that space is dedicated to exhibits. The largest single contiguous exhibit area inside measures 726,726 square feet. The complex also contains a 1,740-seat theater, 105 meeting rooms, and two ballrooms. The Dallas CBD Vertiport occupies part of the rooftop at the south end, one of the world's largest heliport and vertiport facilities. It includes two landing areas, each 60 by 60 feet, with a total flight deck of 169,000 square feet. The facility is designed to handle both helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. Along the loading docks, 75 truck berths serve the building's operations. A DART station beneath the west wing connects the complex to the Red and Blue light rail lines. Dallas Union Station, which handles Amtrak and the Trinity Railway Express, stands to the northeast. The VEX Robotics World Championship was held here in 2009-2010, and annually from 2021 to 2025. Fan Expo Dallas has used the venue every year since 2014. The Dallas Auto Show has filled these halls each year, and whatever replaces the building will need to find it a new home.

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