It might be Charleston's greatest public building in centuries: the new $142 million Gaillard Center has turned the city's modest 1968 auditorium and exhibit hall into a neoclassical landmark that will be a centerpiece of Charleston architecture for centuries to come. Most will view the Gaillard Center as a performance hall, but the necessary funding was procured thanks to the balance of uses inside. There are 80,000 square feet set aside for public offices, as well as a larger and more functional exhibition space than was previously available. It's designed, according to architect David M. Schwarz, as "a real center of the community, both in terms of the hall, the city offices, and the meeting rooms and convention center." Some elements of the previous center remain, particularly in the lobby space and the stage. The exhibit hall also remains in the same place, although it has grown by a third in size and has windows for the first time. The new Gaillard Center promises to be a center for art, culture, and much more in Charleston's future.. Read the full article here: A Public Building for Charleston's New Era