Instead of laying out big bucks on a new, state-of-the-art convention center, at a time when the convention business is in the tank due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Erie County spent nearly $10 million on a façade that will cover, brighten and dramatically update the original concrete building's brutalist design.
The new façade design incorporates steel cladding and a polycarbonate face that is backlit using color-changing LED lighting, as well as large panels featuring rectangles of blue steel sheeting at various depths, symbolizing Buffalo's ties to the waterfront.
"I guarantee you, this design will still look good years from now, unlike the design we have today," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, speaking from the convention center's newly renovated lobby. The building could be lit red, blue and white to celebrate a Buffalo Bills victory or purple to honor domestic violence awareness, for example.
The Center's entrances and lobby were enhanced with new signage, flooring, lighting, technology, and a reconfigured taller entry sequence. The street curbing and sidewalks were bulbed out and delineated by removable stainless steel bollards to create more queueing space immediately in front of the entry.
Winner:
2024 Business First Brick by Brick Award – Hospitality
