Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

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The Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (SC&EC) was a large venue in Darling Harbour, Sydney, used for conventions, exhibitions and entertainment. It opened on 5 May 1988 as part of the Darling Harbour renewal and was made up of two linked buildings: the Exhibition Centre and the Convention Centre.

The Exhibition Centre had several halls for exhibitions, while the Convention Centre offered about 30 meeting rooms and a 3,500-seat auditorium. The complex cost about A$80 million to build and covered around 35,000 square metres. The Exhibition Centre was designed by Philip Cox, the Convention Centre by John Andrews, and Leighton Contractors built it. The NSW Government owned the site, and it was initially operated by Arena Meetings Conventions and Exhibitions, followed by a term run by the Accor hotel group.

A new section was added for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and the venue hosted boxing, fencing, judo, weightlifting and wrestling. It was the biggest building venue in Sydney outside Olympic Park. The SC&EC also hosted the APEC 2007 Business Leaders’ Summit.

Public transport to the centre included the Sydney Monorail (open from 1988 and closed in 2013) and the Inner West Light Rail (opened in 1997), with the Sydney Convention Centre stations named after the complex.

In December 2013, the centre was demolished to make way for the International Convention Centre Sydney. The building won the 1989 Sir John Sulman Medal for Public Architecture and received other awards; some architects criticized its demolition, while the Australian Institute of Architects argued against removing the Exhibition Centre.