A new plaza to the west creates a welcoming entry point for a facility that lacked a friendly front door. It leads to the 900-foot-long Grand Concourse that ties together all the buildings and provides a series of public spaces. With a ceiling that vaults over 100 feet, its gargantuan scale fits the surroundings, but the interior has a variety of people- friendly elements such as fountains and sculptural yellow walls. Jurors were impressed with the variety of features that help direct and orient conventioneers, a difficult but important task in a building of this size and complexity.