Reno-Sparks Auditorium and Convention Center

Reno-Sparks Auditorium and Convention Center

For the Reno-Sparks Auditorium and Convention Center, Richard Neutra was commissioned to create a convention hall that could also serve as a venue for large entertainment and sporting events. Located at the center of the city, near the Truckee River, the 2,0000-seat auditorium was accompanied by a banquet hall, press room, conference rooms, restaurants, and kitchens. Visitors enter an arena which is connected to the auditorium by a grand concourse. This pathway is covered with an asymmetric, sloped, corrugated metal roof, and the concrete and steel beams and bents extend beyond the roofline. The client file for this project suggests Reno made an impression on Neutra, as he collected old postcards and photographs conjuring the town’s “Wild West” image.  

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 435.