Final design of Halifax convention centre unveiled

The final design of Halifax's new convention centre was unveiled Wednesday night.

The final design of Halifax’s new convention centre has been unveiled.

Developer Joe Ramia and his architectural team presented the design of the Nova Centre at Pier 21 Wednesday night.

The complex will house the city’s new $165-million convention centre; all three levels of government are funding that component.

Ramia’s firm, Rank Incorporated, is investing the remaining $350 million.

The look of the Nova Centre has changed after a series of public consultations; the final design features more glass and a slightly smaller above-ground complex.

“It has been very fruitful, so we’re very happy with the design,” says Ramia. “The culmination of the eleven consultation sessions, what we ended up with, we’re very happy with the way it turned out.”

But not everyone is happy about the final design.

“The building is out of scale with downtown Halifax,” says Phil Pacey of the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia.

“We have a small street grid, and generally speaking, medium to low-rise buildings, and this building is just very much larger than anything else around.”

The Nova Centre will also feature a luxury hotel, two financial towers and offices, as well as retail and residential spaces.

Excavation of the site has already begun.