At the southernmost tip of Lake Superior, Duluth is an important shipping point for iron ore mined in northern Minnesota. This convention center sits on the harbor shore at the foot of the city, overlooking the arrival and departure of thousand-foot long ore ships as they slip beneath the historic lift bridge across the bay.

This addition accommodates a main ballroom, meeting rooms, sport locker rooms, and important support spaces, and in conjunction with the existing auditorium and arena, completes a triad of major venues on the waterfront. A gently curving glass wall provides sweeping views of the harbor from the meeting room lobby on the second floor and from the ballroom on the third floor.

As well as providing new program spaces, the addition also had to manage the passage through it of throngs of hockey fans coming and going from games in the adjacent arena, often at the same time that events in the addition are scheduled. The lobbies and stairs were carefully arranged to allow easy circulation for simultaneous events and maintain controlled access to the ballroom and meeting rooms.

¹Designed while Principal with LMN Architects

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