Silver | Zahner

Okie Blanchard

December 9, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Arena & Stadium, Passive Security Cheyenne--Wyoming Davis Partnership Architects Silver M 2015 /by cmorris

Okie Blanchard Sports Complex

Designed by Davis Partnership Architects, the new stadium at Okie Blanchard Sports Complex features a unique metal panel system made by Zahner. The architects used the Zahner-patented ImageWall to generate and detail custom image-perf which form custom imagery of football motifs.

The custom system required a number of changes to the base ImageWall system, so the designers worked with ImageWall design team to develop their project. Using the ImageWall System, the architects were able to quickly iterate through a number of unique panel designs for the stadium.

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Okie Blanchard

Additional Features of the Okie Blanchard System

One of the features of ImageWall which greatly increased the image quality across panels is the project’s use of Cross-Seam Perf. This is an innovation Zahner developed through the use of parametric design. Cross-Seam Perf comes standard with most ImageWall applications.

Most manufacturers of perforated metal don’t have a system capable of perforating across the seams, which means that each panel will have a picture-frame around the image. Punching the metal surface on both sides of the panels reveal gives the illusion of a continuous perforation across the metal surface without breaking each panel into picture frames.

The custom screen walls function as both passive security measures serving to prevent access under the bleachers while also providing a sports theme for stadium visitors.

Detail of the Okie Blanchard privacy screens.

Cross-seam perforation is a standard feature of ImageWall perforated metal.

In an effort to make room for a future junior high school on the campus, the sports and athletics program at East High School required re-planning and consolidation. Per master planning recommendations the much beloved original Okie-Blanchard stadium would need to be razed and replaced with a much-needed new facility. AVI, Inc. with Davis Partnership Architects was selected for the project encompassing 26-acres due to the team’s experience in outdoor athletics facilities and skill in incorporating natural topography into its designs.

Image output for the perforated metal used by ImageWall.

CVS Las Vegas

December 9, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Flagship, Retail & Commerce, Storefront Las Vegas--Nevada Jacobs Grey, Silver L 2016 /by cmorris

CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino

CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas is a unique flagship store designed by Jacobs featuring a custom structural facade system by Zahner.

In a city known for its flamboyant neon and kitsch architectural statements, this Las Vegas Boulevard stands on its own, while making a marked departure from the local architecture.

The design for this project may have some of the most uniquely powerful branding and signage that the city has yet to see (and this is Las Vegas). The CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino has a signage system whose reflective letters provide an eye-catching animated effect for cars and passersby. This innovative signage system is the result of weeks of design charettes, and several months of engineering and fabrication.

CVS Pharmacy at Bally's, Las Vegas

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

What makes the signage system intriguing is its clever illusion, a result of the design’s collaborative process. Jacobs, the architects behind the project, brought Zahner in as a design assist contract to develop a branded sign system. Using a combination of LED backlighting, selective polishing, and algorithmic perforations, the team developed a unique concept and produced a mockup.

The mockup was produced in Kansas City, and was shown and inspected by the project team. The team used the mockup to identify any issues with the fabrication, and then began manufacturing the piece for delivery in Las Vegas.

Mockup for the CVS Pharmacy in Las Vegas.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The mockup provided valuable feedback into the structural design, giving the Zahner engineering team insights into moving forward on the actual construction. The full-size mockup also provides the designers and clients with an accurate vision of the letter’s clarity.

After this phase one design and mockup process, the project moved into fabrication and installation. Zahner provided both the architectural exposed structural steel (AESS) as well as the stainless steel panel system.

In all there were 182 assemblies and 9000 SF of 304 stainless steel produced for the project. The skin of this uses a 14ga material. The parts were manufactured as part of a custom fabricated rain screen panel with factory applied ZIRA / ImageWall pattern.

All of the exterior visible surfaces have a Glass Bead matte finish with the exception of the brand’s logos, which are polished to a mirror finish. The project’s 182 assemblies are each slightly curved, and supported by an aluminum support strut located outside of the weather wall.

Detail of the stainless steel panels for CVS pharmacy, Las Vegas

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

DETAIL OF THE STAINLESS STEEL PANELS FOR CVS PHARMACY, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

CVS PHARMACY AT BALLY’S CASINO, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

CVS PHARMACY AT BALLY’S CASINO, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

Nerman Museum

November 4, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Interior Architecture Furniture, Kinetic Art, Museum Overland Park--Kansas Gould Evans Associates, Kyu Sung Woo Architects Leo Villareal Silver S 2007 /by cmorris

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

For the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Zahner worked with Kyu Sung Woo Architects to create interior architectural metalwork and design elements, as well as a unique permanent art installation by Leo Villareal entitled Microcosm.

The scope of work included a perforated metal ceiling and interior facade for the building’s atrium; stainless steel interior panels for the building’s entrances; custom stainless steel service desk; and the stainless steel and LED kinetic art display for the building’s Southeast entrance.

Zahner worked with both the artist and the architect to bring these various metal details to life.

“

One of the Museum’s most iconic works,”

Bruce HartmanExecutive Director of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art..at

Microcosm at the Nerman Museum

In 2006, while the new building was in design development, Johnson County Community College commissioned a major, site-specific installation by Leo Villareal for the cantilever of the museum’s entrance. “The resulting piece, Microcosm, is now one of the museum’s most iconic works,” stated Bruce Hartman, executive director of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. “Leo Villareal’s survey exhibition will be a dazzling and extraordinary experience for our entire community.”

Looping animation of the Nerman Museum kinetic light display by artist Leo Villareal.

The moving lights at the Nerman Museum

Learn more about the artwork Microcosm at the Nerman Museum in Overland Park, Kansas.

Zahner worked with the artist to develop the exterior soffit and lighting. Under the guidance of Villareal, Zahner engineering technicians installed the LED light system as part of the stainless steel ceiling. The artwork is installed at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas.

“He not only gives viewers the sensory thrill of his ever-changing displays of light: he also creates a participatory social space that is fascinatingly both relaxed and spectacular.” — Susan Krane Oshman, Executive Director of the San Jose Museum of Art.

Interior metalwork for the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Photo of the kinetic light and soffit system developed for the Nerman Museum of ContemporaryArt.

Graphic showing the perforated ceiling system for the Graphic showing the perforated ceiling system for the Nerman Museum of Art.

Atrium for the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

Detail of the perforated metal angle panels

Detail of the argyle shadows cast by folded metal with perforations.

Photos of the kinetic light and soffit system developed for the Nerman Museum of Art.

Custom stainless steel reception desk for the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Detail of the stainless steel reception desk for the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

DeBruce Center: Rules of Basketball

November 3, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Education, Museum, Parking Structure Lawrence--Kansas Gould Evans Associates Silver, White L 2016 /by cmorris

DeBruce Center and the KU Rules of Basketball

DeBruce Center is a Gould Evans-designed building featuring Zahner engineered metal systems throughout its interior and exterior. Zahner completed multiple scopes on the project, including the exterior and interior panels of bridge that connects to Allen Fieldhouse, guardrails, and the perforated scrim walls which enclose its adjoining parking structure.

The building complex was developed around a single piece of basketball history. The original Rules of Basketball, written in 1891 by James Naismith (the inventor of basketball and founder of the KU basketball program) were purchased and donated to the school, and have found their permanent home at DeBruce Center, a new facility adjoining the northeast corner of Allen Fieldhouse at KU.

The existing Allen Fieldhouse building at KU is now connected by a bridge to the Debruce Center. This connects the new exhibit and visitor center to historical Allen Fieldhouse, where the KU basketball team regularly plays their local games. This connection helps to physically explain the history of KU’s sports program. James Naismith (the ‘father’ of basketball) and Forrest “Phog” Allen (the ‘father’ of basketball coaching) each had an integral role in building this legacy. By physically connecting the two spaces, the designers at Gould Evans have built a literal link between the past and future of basketball at KU.

The bridge, which connects the DeBruce Center and Parking Garage to the Allen Fieldhouse.

Creating the Exterior Bridge at DeBruce Center

The Zahner team was tasked with creating large cut-out aluminum panels bearing the original rules for the game of basketball. The interior panels also contain a direct screenprint of text on aluminum, which maps out the visage of Naismith and Phog Allen.

The aluminum panels for the exterior bridge were milled from 3/8” aluminum, at a panel size of 6’ x 18’. Panels of this scale provide a unique challenge. Zahner both coordinated with the structural team to ensure that the plate attachment system was properly detailed out in order to take on such heavy loads (the panels weigh around 500 pounds each).

Zahner milled the complete text from the Rules of Basketball, cutting stenciled text into each of the panels. The panels are backlit at night by LED lights that were installed by the lighting designer. During the day, the Angel Hair finish applied to the panels disperses sunlight and softens the natural reflectivity of the aluminum.

The Allen Fieldhouse (left) is connected to the DeBruce Center via an aluminum clad pedestrian bridge.

Milling and Etching Interior Metal Wall Panels to Tell a Story.

The interior bridge continues the exterior bridge’s aesthetic of text milled out from Angel Hair aluminum, and also adds an additional silkscreened visual element. Rather than the rules of basketball, the milled aluminum panels on the east wall contain quotes from both Naismith and Phog Allen. Because these panels are interior and don’t have windloads to contend with, the designers were able to go with a thinner sheet, at 3/16” x 5’ x 10’ each.

The adjacent west wall contains direct screenprinted text on aluminum. This text utilizes a similar visual trope to ZIRA in that it uses letterforms to map out the image of Naismith and Phog Allen, drawing yet another visual parallel between these founding fathers and the legacy of basketball at KU.

Interior Aluminum Plate Guardrails and Staircase Ramps

Zahner also completed a series of interior guardrails from 5/8” aluminum, in an Angel Hair finish to match the surrounding walls. These were made from solid plates connected only at the floor level, stairs, and ramp.

To achieve a uniform planar surface with minimal fasteners, custom connections were developed by Zahner engineers to create the massive guardrails which wind up and down the interior of DeBruce Center.

Using ImageWall to generate Perforated Imagery on Metal

The final piece of Zahner’s scope on DeBruce Center was a custom ZIRA perforated image of wheat, comprising around 7,250 square feet of space. At 243 total 3’ x 10’ 16ga panels, this was our largest scope item and required coordination with multiple trades, such as existing site and new steel. The engineers and fabricators at Zahner provided a system for drop and lock attachment that allowed for a smooth installation.

The perforations cross between panels, allowing imagery to continue seamlessly across the wall, without the distraction of edges. This was achieved by examining the pattern’s parametric relationship of visual elements to the larger surface. The resulting image emulates a field of wheat, hearkening back to symbols of Kansas, and the history of KU.

OHR O’Keefe Museum

October 21, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Museum Biloxi--Mississippi Frank Gehry Partners Silver L 2014 /by cmorris

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art – Ceramic Art and Biloxi History

Located in Biloxi, Mississippi, The Ohr O’Keefe Museum is a non-profit art museum and arts center dedicated to the late ceramics artist George E. Ohr. The museum is named for both Ohr and Annette O’Keefe, the late wife of former Biloxi mayor Jeremiah O’Keefe. Her name was appended to the museum in recognition of the family’s ongoing contributions, which exceed 1.8 million dollars.

The museum is designed by Frank Gehry Partners, whose work with Zahner in the past resulted in various high-profile architectural projects such as the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Experience Music Project in Seattle, and the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, Chicago. Gehry met with Jerry O’Keefe in 1998, and agreed to design the new museum for Biloxi, Mississippi.

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OHR O’Keefe Museum

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art main building at dusk, Biloxi, Mississippi. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art main building at dusk, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ambient reflectivity of the Angel Hair Stainless steel panels by Zahner for the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art. — Ambient reflectivity of the Angel Hair Stainless steel panels by Zahner for the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum entrance at dusk, designed by Frank Gehry Partners. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum entrance at dusk, designed by Frank Gehry Partners.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum at dusk, featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel and ZEPPS Technology. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum at dusk, featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel and ZEPPS Technology.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum gallery interior designed by Frank Gehry Partners with Eley Guild Hardy Architects. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum gallery interior designed by Frank Gehry Partners with Eley Guild Hardy Architects.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum Pods detail, designed by Frank Gehry Partners. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum Pods detail, designed by Frank Gehry Partners.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Pods designed by Frank Gehry Partners. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Pods designed by Frank Gehry Partners.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum viewed from the South elevation. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum viewed from the South elevation.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr O'Keefe Museum viewed from the South entrance. — Ohr O’Keefe Museum viewed from the South entrance.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art campus in Biloxi, Mississippi. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art campus in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Gallery of African-American Art designed by Frank Gehry Partners. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Gallery of African-American Art designed by Frank Gehry Partners.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art . — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art .

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

East tower of the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, showing the structural steel forms which support its roof. — East tower of the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, showing the structural steel forms which support its roof.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum main building and gift shop/coffee shop in Biloxi, Mississippi. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum main building and gift shop/coffee shop in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Southeast view of Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi. — Southeast view of Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Ceramics Studio in Biloxi, Mississippi. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Ceramics Studio in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum Roof system featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum Roof system featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Building the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum in Biloxi

The trees are architecture, they are as interesting as any building. It’s like if you go to a dance and your dance partner is the tree. She’s a pretty partner, so we’ll try and waltz her around a bit. — Frank Gehry

Constructing a complex building such as this one requires accurate engineering, which is why Gehry has partnered with Zahner on many of the firm’s most complex projects. Each of the pods, the engineered using the ZEPPS process, a system developed by Zahner for building forms.

Using this process provides a simple way for architect’s to design and building curved and otherwise complex forms. For architects, these forms provide a complete wall system, from the exterior facade, the the insulation, electrical, as well as the interior wall studs which are ready for curved interior drywall.

This brings the construction of complex forms into realistic territory. ZEPPS enables precise engineering, smooth construction, and uniform surfaces in the final product.

In his initial designs, Gehry envisioned a single building, dancing with the graceful live oaks. He later expanded the project into several buildings, scattered among the trees. ‘The trees are architecture, they are as interesting as any building,’ describes architect Frank Gehry. ‘It’s like if you go to a dance and your dance partner is the tree. She’s a pretty partner, so we’ll try and waltz her around a bit.’

One of the ZEPPS Panels for Frank Gehry's Pods at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art. — One of the ZEPPS Panels for Frank Gehry’s Pods at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Gehry's Pods at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, during construction. — Gehry’s Pods at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, during construction.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art with skins featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel. — Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art with skins featuring Angel Hair Stainless Steel.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

As the project neared completion in 2005, disaster stuck the southeast coastal areas of the Southeastern United States. Hurricane Katrina tore through Biloxi, destroying 90% of the buildings along the coast and the gulf. Many of the ‘floating’ casino barges were torn from their footings, and cast along the shores causing futher damage.

Photograph of the Grand Casino Biloxi on the job site in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Photo © A. Zahner Company.

One of these casinos, the Grand Casino Biloxi, found its way onto the Ohr-O’Keefe construction site, where it’s path of destruction was halted by the live oaks surrounding Gehry’s Pods. The decision to nestle the buildings within the trees paid off, and damages were reduced.
The pod-like structures were shipped back to the Zahner campus, where they remained in storage as the cleanup and re-construction process took place from 2005-2010. The pods were then shipped back to the site and the museum was substantially completed in 2014.

Exploratorium

October 12, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture LEED, Museum San Francisco Bay EHDD Architecture Karli Woodward, Mark McGowan Grey, Silver 2013 /by cmorris

Exploratorium Plankton Wall at the North Pier

The Exploratorium is a ground-breaking science museum in San Francisco. Founded in 1969, the museum is known internationally for its pioneering exhibits with hands-on creative displays of natural phenomena. In 2013, the museum opened in its new location after a redesign by EHDD Architects. The design process opened up three times the amount of space for exhibits.

Zahner was brought into the design to develop one of the three artworks devised by Mark McGowan, Art Director for the Exhibit Environments at the Exploratorium:

“My goal was to use the building’s otherwise neutral architectural features to visually display things that would normally be invisible, to express something about the site and what’s there—the tides, the bay water, and the equipment that’s contributing to the museum’s net-zero energy goal—in a visual way.”

Zahner worked with the team to develop the Plankton Wall, a stainless steel artwall which is situated at the Northeast elevation facing the San Francisco Bay. As part of the Bay Observatory Terrace, the Plankton Wall is a semi-reflective surface showing a randomized grid of what appear to be patterned circles. These circles are abstract versions of sketches initially created by Karli Woodward, Living Systems Technician, of four different types of baywater plankton.

Each of the holes which compose the patterned circles were die-cut in Kansas City, composed of only 6 differently sized punches. The wall’s stainless steel panels were fabricated by Zahner in Kansas City, Missouri.

Best Examples of Residential Architecture featuring Zahner

Private residences as well as residential developments require safe design and engineering practices, as well as attractive design aesthetics and craft. Creating unique residential architectural details for endurance of both functional performance as well enduring aesthetics requires careful engineering and smart manufacturing. See below examples of projects including Zahner manufacturing for residential architecture.

Operable doors clad in the Zahner perforated metal open to the ocean bay.

Entrance to the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Detail of the custom perforated iconography at the Exploratorium.

Photo of the Plankton Wall at the Exploratorium.

Detail of the ocean-facing Plankton Wall at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

View of the Plankton Wall from the Bay Observation Terrace at the Exploratorium.

Detail off the Plankton Wall view from the Bay Observation Terrace at the Exploratorium.

Church of the Resurrection

October 11, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Worship Center Leawood--Kansas Gould Evans Associates, HGA Architects Silver L, XL 2016 /by cmorris

United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS

The Church of the Resurrection is a new construction for the Leawood congregation designed by HGA with Gould Evans. Zahner provided the exterior secondary structure (ZEPPS), and the stainless steel cladding in Angel Hair finish on 304 alloy.

Seven stainless-steel clad sails, inspired by the seven days of creation, alternate with diffuse slot windows to create a light-filled volume that draws attention upward for reflection, prayer and adoration.

Landscaped parking extends to an arrival plaza, welcoming the community to the sanctuary from all directions. Inside, a thrust chancel platform and a single balcony bring congregants close to the worship leaders, with a variety of seating types allowing flexibility in service size.

United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.

Founded in 1990, the Church of the Resurrection has grown into the largest United Methodist Church in the U.S. with 18,000 members. Seeking to expand and remodel its existing facility on a 76-acre site, the church is adding an acoustically versatile sanctuary seating 3,500 and converting the existing auditorium into a multi-purpose room.

Related Project

Independence Temple

The shape of the design evokes the form of a spiral nautilus shell. Gyo Obata of HOK asked Zahner to develop a conical roof based on a conch shell that he had selected from a large collection of seashells during a design meeting. This form was developed with Zahner engineers into a roof system for the new church headquarters.

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Cowboys Stadium

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Arena & Stadium Dallas--Texas HKS Silver XL 2009 /by cmorris

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Designed by HKS, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium is among the largest in the world, seating 100,000 people. Zahner produced the stainless steel perimeter metalwork on the exterior and the interior of the stadium.

Due to the geometric complexities of these areas, HKS selected Zahner to produce the custom finished steel work. Zahner design-engineered the HKS entrance archway using ZEPPS, a system created for creating and manufacturing complex forms. Using the ZEPPS system allowed for fabricating structural sections that were easily installed.

“

HKS’s spirit of cooperation in providing leadership, design innovation, delivery and execution to our project superseded even my high expectations and helped bring our dreams to life. AT&T Stadium has proven itself not only as a football stadium, but as a venue for other sports and large entertainment events. It has been an instant hit – recognizable worldwide.

Jerry JonesOwner, President and General Manager, Dallas Cowboys.at

Ticketing & Giftshop at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Detail of the stainless steel metalwork on the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

400 Fifth Avenue

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Residential New York City Gwathmey Siegel Silver L 2010 /by cmorris

400 Fifth avenue: Langham Place, New York City

A stainless steel crown, engineered and fabricated by Zahner, sits atop the 650’ high-rise. Angel Hair, the Zahner developed glare reducing surface texture, was applied to each panel along with custom bumps. Langham Place, originally the Setai Hotel, was designed by Gwathmey Siegel in tandem with Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman & Efron.

The project used a Design Assist process to explore the client’s design and find ways to reduce costs in the field. This process led to a reduction in field time by creating the parts using ZEPPS, the Zahner method of fabricating and installing complex forms. Assemblies are engineered in pre-fabricated sections, resulting in more efficient field installation and lowered cost for the client.

ZEPPS was used to translate the architect’s design into shippable parts. Zahner engineers methodically planned each shipment to ensure optimization. Like pieces in a puzzle, Zahner engineers fit each crate to maximize the allowed space in each semi-truck load. Similarly, installation was methodically pre-planned using the digital model. The massive panel assemblies were lifted into place and secured to the primary structure using a small number of cold-connections.

Architect's rendering of the high-rise design, a crown adornment of massive scale.

Preassembled ZEPPS megapanels can be seen at Zahner HQ in Kansas City prior to crating and shipment to New York City.

200 Eleventh

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Highrise New York City Selldorf Architects Brown, Silver L 2010 /by cmorris

200 Eleventh Avenue in Chelsea

The 19-story building is supported by a 3-story plinth which serves as a base for the 16 stories above it. This base’s material palette and massing (terracotta cladding and blackened steel window frames) is in harmony with the surrounding industrial buildings, and also serves to set the tone for the less subtle forms on the tower.

The tower’s design sensibility builds on the aesthetics of the neighboring areas. Architect Annabelle Selldorf pointed out in an Arch Record interview that “The streetscape is already starting to get lost among glass high-rises.” Instead of designing a building which challenges the neighborhood’s character, the architect developed a style which enhances the surrounding architectural style with an update.

The architects wanted to create a new kind of living experience by allowing residents in the high-rise to park outside their front doors on their floor. Residents access the car elevator through a driveway at the base of the building. Each car has an electronic pass that opens the elevator and automatically directs the elevator to the appropriate floor. Residents then proceed to their floor and park in their private garage.

The 19-floor residential tower at 200 Eleventh Avenue

Ribbon-like quality of the stainless steel forms at 200 Eleventh Avenue.

Detail of the 200 Eleventh Ave stainless steel facade.

Creating Integrated Architecture with Design Assist

The details of these stainless steel forms were roughly defined during the planning process, so that the finer details could be solidified with Zahner’s Design Assist team. This meant that the design would be fully defined for fabrication in the Zahner plant, and that the details would integrate tightly into the Selldorf design plan.

This kind of collaborative building process is key to the development of smart connections and high-end metalwork. Zahner worked closely with the architects at Selldorf to match their intent while operating within the constraints of the project’s stainless steel construction.

The mockup for the stainless steel metalwork at the Zahner factory in Kansas City.

Zahner welder Kerry Butler with the 200 Eleventh mockup at the Kansas City factory.

Animation shows the design iterations of the stainless steel connection detail.

The 3-frame animation shows the design assist process for the curving form connection, from the original 3D model to the final unitized system that Zahner would produce. The mockup that was produced at the Zahner fabrication facility features this final design connection that was used on the 200 Eleventh Residences. This highly crafted connection is finished with the Angel Hair texture on stainless steel.