RBC convention centre

Floating floor for exhibition area above theaters, ballrooms, café, retail stores.

The 1975 RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg, MB, has been expanded by an impressive 340,000 square feet, while the existing structure underwent significant structural and electrical upgrades. This transformation establishes the facility as the fourth-largest publicly owned convention center in Canada and the newest of its kind, designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Standards.

A notable feature of the new extension is the expansive exhibition area, which is strategically situated above a range of spaces, including ballrooms, meeting rooms, the Presentation Theater, a café, and retail outlets. A critical design challenge involved addressing acoustical isolation, particularly concerning noise generated by trucks accessing the exhibition hall, fit-up activities with metal-wheeled carts and smaller vehicles, and the impact sounds from objects being dropped or construction activities.

Given that the concrete topping was only 4 inches thick, the isolation solution not only needed to deliver exceptional acoustic performance but also withstand the substantial traffic and point loads from trucks and equipment operating in the exhibition hall. REGUPOL vibration 300 rose to the occasion, meeting these demanding criteria and being installed throughout the exhibition area. Additionally, REGUPOL iso-strips were applied around the perimeter of the concrete topping to prevent flanking noise from transferring into adjacent noise-sensitive spaces. With these enhancements, the convention center now boasts a total rentable space of 260,000 square feet.

This project was a true collaboration, and we extend our gratitude to Daniel Lazun of DLA/RWDI, Inc., and Nathan Sevener of Soundscape Engineering for their invaluable expertise in architectural acoustics and vibration isolation. Their professionalism and skillful approach were instrumental in the success of this remarkable undertaking.