Announcements September 14, 2022

Georgia State’s Convocation Center Reaffirms University’s Commitment to Students and Community

The University’s brand-new Convocation Center opens with goals of serving students, staff, and the greater downtown Georgia community under one roof.

Georgia State University Convocation Center

Image courtesy of Georgia State University

Georgia State University is celebrating the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art Convocation Center. Located at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and Fulton Street in Atlanta, the 200,000-square-foot Convocation Center will host athletic events, convocations, commencements, conferences, concerts, and e-sports. Perkins&Will is the design architect, and The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) is the architect of record.

Elegance Meets Functionality

A world-class institution deserves a world-class athletic, assembly, and conference facility. The new multi-purpose Convocation Center seats up to 7,300 for basketball events, 7,500 for graduation events, and 8,000 for concert events. This will be an upgrade from the Georgia State Sports Arena, which was constructed in 1972 and only seats 3,500. The new facility boasts flexibility and provides appropriate space to meet the current and future needs of the university and community.

“The Convocation Center is a game-changer, not just for our men’s and women’s basketball programs, but for all of Georgia State University,” said Athletics Director, Charlie Cobb. “It’s a vehicle for engagement for the entire community—whether it’s graduation, an academic seminar, an esports tournament, a concert or a basketball game.”

Venue Features

The Center was designed to accommodate multiple users through intuitive, flexible, and practical design solutions. The multi-level facility features a club room and suites on the concourse level for event attendees while the floor level features locker rooms, nursing, and sports medicine rooms for students and student athletes. The facility will broaden the scope of Georgia State Basketball, giving athletes a home court in Downtown Atlanta that will give them the chance to grow, compete, and recruit on a national level.

The new facility also includes the latest in lighting technology, acoustics, and building control systems. The wayfinding is integrated into the facility’s design, giving a sleek finish that does not detract from the architecture. The masonry and cement flooring make for easy maintenance and cleaning, while the ample floor-to-ceiling glass windows welcome natural light and offer guests a visual connection to the downtown Atlanta skyline.

Collaborative Design

Perkins&Will worked with SLAM and Brasfield & Gorrie on this project, in association with Georgia State Facilities Management. The Perkins&Will project team was made up of members from the Denver and Atlanta studios, which both specialize in sports architecture. The teams collaborated to bring their experience, ideas, and expertise to life with this project.

The Convocation Center was intentionally designed to accommodate multiple users through intuitive, flexible, and practical design solutions.

Georgia State’s Convocation Center Reaffirms University’s Commitment to Students and Community

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