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Birmingham, Alabama has narrowed its choice of designers for the expansion of the city’s major meetings and events down to two. In December, the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Board of Authority will hear presentations from the two architectural firms chosen as finalists—HOK and HKS—before deciding on the selection of the lead designer for the BJCC expansion project. The two finalists— each with locations around the globe and a worldwide reputation to match—were selected from nine architectural design firms that submitted qualifications.

"We’re excited to be taking the next important step toward this much needed expansion project," said Jack Fields, Executive Director, BJCC. "We feel confident that our two finalists are the top firms in the country for the type of multi-purpose facility we plan to build here at the BJCC."

The proposed expansion consists of a 57,500-seat multi-purpose facility, expandable to 65,000 seats, with 160,000 square feet of flat floor space that will be used for conventions and trade shows. The expansion is intended to improve Birmingham’s competitive edge by providing capacity and suite availability demanded by major entertainment and sporting events and allowing the complex to host trade shows, conventions and multiple events simultaneously.

HOK’s portfolio includes the Phoenix Convention Center and Houston’s Reliant Stadium among others. The firm is also part of the master planning team for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games bid in London. The portfolio of HKS includes the American Airlines Center in Dallas in Dallas, the Liverpool FC Stadium in Liverpool, England, as well as several other sports stadiums and meeting-focused hotels on their portfolio. The firm was also selected as the lead architect for the Children’s Hospital expansion here in Birmingham.