Grand Convocation Chamber



The Grand Convocation Chamber, also referred to as the Senate Rotunda, Senate Arena, or Great Rotunda, was the largest room in the Senate Building on Coruscant. It was over 100 meters tall and consisted of 1,024 pods for Senators from all over the Galaxy. The entrance to the Chamber was the Atrium of the Senate, and it was ringed by the Grand Concourse. When choosing a color scheme for the walls, ancient designers chose lavender&mdash;it was the only shade that had not been historically associated with mourning, anger, or war in the entire Galaxy.

In the center, a the thirty-meter-tall podium would rise up from the Chancellor's holding office for the Senate sessions. On this podium, the Supreme Chancellor, his Senior Administrative Aide, and the Vice Chair stood on the upper level, and the Senate scribe, journal clerk, parliamentarian, and Sergeant at Arms were seated on the lower level. Many major events occurred in this room throughout the history of the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire.

In the time of the New Republic Senate, the senior members of the Senate were seated at the lower levels, with the newer and less powerful Senators seated in the upper tiers.

History
The Grand Convocation Camber, like the rest of the Senate Building itself, was built sometime after 4,000 BBY. Prior to it being built, the Senate met in a chamber shaped like an oval stadium.

In 32 BBY, a session for the Senate was called to deal with the Invasion of Naboo. As a result of Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum's lack of power in resolving it, he was given a Vote of No Confidence. Senator Palpatine was voted the new Chancellor, and began serving soon after the crisis was ended.

Ten standard years later, Palpatine was voted emergency powers by the Senate to deal with the ongoing threat of the Separatist Crisis, which began the Clone Wars in 22 BBY. After three years of battles and the Chancellor's own kidnapping, in 19 BBY, Palpatine announced to the Senate further security for his people by creating the Galactic Empire. After the announcement of Order 66, the room was the location of a fight between him and Jedi Master Yoda. In the duel, Palpatine Force-lifted several Senator pods towards Yoda, demolishing the once pristine chamber. It was quickly rebuilt, and continued to be used until the Senate was disbanded shortly before the Battle of Yavin.

The original Senate building was partially destroyed during the Rebel Alliance's retaking of the planet; it was later rebuilt afterwards. Then, during the Thrawn crisis, it was almost completely destroyed. Later, it would be severely damaged by Kueller's bombs and would undergo a major renovation. By the time of Borsk Fey'lya's election as Chief of State, the building itself was rebuilt and it housed thousands of chairs and benches around the walls on tiers instead of having the repulsor Senate pods. The upper levels were randomly pitted with large chambers to seat other senators or representatives temporarily visiting the planet. It was said that they may have replaced some of the rooms with repulsor lift pods, but by the time of the Yuuzhan Vong's taking of the planet, that plan had been long abandoned.

After the Fall of Coruscant during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Grand Convocation Chamber housed the Yuuzhan Vong World Brain.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Republic: The Stark Hyperspace War
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:24 in Star Wars Insider 84
 * The Courtship of Princess Leia
 * The New Rebellion
 * Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague
 * Specter of the Past
 * Vector Prime
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Star by Star
 * Traitor
 * The Unifying Force