HENRY B. GONZALES CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION

At the heart of San Antonio and its landscape, the San Antonio River has run alongside many Rialto Studio projects. One of the most notable projects is the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center Expansion 

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A 500-foot-long extension of the river and the Riverwalk begins as a trickle in Hemisfair Park, where the water meanders alongside a paved pathway through 23 vertical feet of rockwork and planting recalling the Texas Hill Country. As the Convention Center bridges above, the water becomes a splashing torrent, spilling into a navigable extension of the river. The complete sequence recalls the larger physical context of San Antonio and demonstrates the importance of water to the city’s development.

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The design of the river extension pays homage to earlier Riverwalk designs with non-parallel banks, rich hardscape materials, a variety of paving surfaces and lush planting. A turning basin and consistent water levels allow tour boat operations. As a whole, the water, planting, and pedestrian pathways and bridges create a counterpoint to the urban architectural surroundings.