Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Editorial
In fact, it was designed by Melbourne architecture practice Denton Corker Marshall. DCM certainly made their industrial stamp on the city in the 1990s thanks in large part, it is said, to their biggest fan, then Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett.
All this is a very convoluted way of telling you: nearly everyone in Melbourne calls this place Jeff's Shed. This may be very useful information if you're new in town.
Once you find your way to the nicknamed Melbourne fixture, you'll find an impressive space. The colourful Kennett was determined to give his capital a temple for trade. So, he scrapped plans for a museum on the site and oversaw the unfolding of a vast exhibition space. At 30,000 square metres, this is the largest pillarless floor space in the southern hemisphere.
If you're off to the Exhibition Centre for any number of expos that range from Sexpo to the Good Food Show to plumbing fixture super-sales, you'll find access for the mobility impaired is top notch. There are loos, parking and lifts aplenty. For the hearing impaired, a TTV telephone is on the concourse.
The shed's spanking new neighbour is the Convention Centre. It's central, accessible to all and was awarded a '6 Star Green Star' rating for its environmental practice. The Plenary Hall here can seat up to 5 5000 punters and can be divided into a number of ingenious smaller rooms. As you'd expect from a brand new structure, the AV and tech in general is crackling with the promise of a wireless tomorrow.
For all the gags initially had at the expense of these buildings, they have emerged over time to be not only part of the urban furniture, but two of the nation's best facilities for conventions and exhibitions.
Helen Razer, Citysearch
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