L | Zahner

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.

Related System

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.

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 316 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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Capitol Federal Hall

September 16, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Education Lawrence--Kansas Gastinger Walker Harden, Gensler Brown L 2016 /by cmorris

Capitol Federal Hall Building at the University of Kansas

Capitol Federal Hall is a new building on the University of Kansas (KU) campus designed by Gensler, with custom architecture features made by Zahner. The building boasts four stories and an extra 166,500 square feet of space for students. It is the largest privately funded building on KU’s campus.

The building features various exterior and interior metalwork, design-engineered and manufactured by Zahner. The project was completed in 2015. Zahner worked with architects Gensler and Gastinger Walker, under the construction management of JE Dunn.

Zahner manufactured a variety of the project’s interior metalwork, including the awards wall, interior wall panels and the perforated metal for its feature staircase. This includes all of the stringer adornment, soffits, fascia, balusters and guardrails. Exterior metalwork includes the metal balconies, wall panels, and exterior outcroppings. Both the interior and exterior are clad in Solanum Steel, a rustic patina developed on weathering steel.

Related Surface

Capitol Federal Hall

Interior Perforated Guardrail System

Capitol Federal Hall uses Solanum Steel for the exterior cladding, as well as perforating some of the guardrail panels. Zahner treated all interior panels with a matte sealant that maintained the surface quality of the steel, while preventing the patina from rubbing off onto people’s hands or clothing. Perforations were completed on the raw steel, then weathered afterwards to prevent any damage during the perforating process. Adding the finish post-fabrication also ensured that the inside of the holes maintained the same finish as the front of the panels.

Because the panels could be viewed on both sides, it was necessary to treat both the front and back with the Solanum finish. To accommodate for this, as well as the voids left from the holes, a thicker plate material was used.

Related System

Guardrail Systems

Custom guardrail systems are a critical component of providing a design which is both safe and friendly for unique architectural environments. Zahner works with designers to provide bespoke handrail and guardrail systems for their projects.

Unique balcony design using Solanum Steel

Capitol Federal Hall at the University of Kansas

Detail of the Solanum Steel Balcony at Capitol Federal Hall

Argosy Casino

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Entertainment Lawrenceburg--Indiana BDMD Architects Red L, XL 2009 /by cmorris

Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg

Formerly the Argosy Casino in Indiana, the Hollywood Casino & Hotel Lawrenceburg was designed by BDMD Architects.

Zahner provided the engineering, fabrication, and installation of the building envelope, interconnecting bridge, and decorative interior elements. Thousands of unique metal panels cover approximately 43,400 square feet of visible exterior surface. An elevated walkway, designed to replicate the region’s historic structural steel trestle bridges, is clad in a painted aluminum metal system by Zahner. Interior panels, decorative ceiling rings, and faux duct hangers were completed to the same exacting standards as exterior elements.

Related Project

Treasure Island

Each of the wings were finished with a different alloy of stainless steel, to create a color distinction between the two. The east wing was finished using a brushed stainless steel surface. The west wing with PVD coated stainless steel panels for a copper hue.

Red metal custom cupola turrets in Lawrenceburg

Decorative metalwork at the bridge connection

Decorative custom corbel and gusset detail

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.

Wyly Theater

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture LEED, Performance Center Dallas--Texas Kendall Heaton Associates, OMA, REX Architecture Silver L 2008 /by cmorris

Dee & Charles Wyly Theatre

Situated in the arts district of downtown Dallas, the critically acclaimed Wyly Theatre was designed by REX Architecture and Rem Koolhaas OMA. Heralded as one of the most intelligently conceived performance centers in the world, the Wyly is designed to accommodate traditional and experimental performances of music, dance, and cinema in a uniquely rigged space that rapidly transforms to meet various performance requirements.

Such a unique interior space called for a similarly unique exterior. Zahner provided the design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of the extruded anodized aluminum facade.

Related Project

Winspear Opera House

Zahner produced the canopy which covers the Winspear as well as the Strauss Square and Sammons Park. These two venues offer outdoor performances and projected shows.

Detail of the perforated aluminum lighting system for Wyly Theatre.

Wyly Theatre by REX Architecture & Rem Koolhaus OMA

Designing the Facade for Wyly Theatre

The architects contracted Zahner in a Design Assist process to develop a solution for the building façade. The process enables both the design and fabrication teams to solidify a clear design concept, increasing efficiencies before moving to the fabrication phase.

The concept for the Wyly façade began with an idea that, through design iteration and charrette, culminated in taking the idea one step further. The result is an extruded aluminum façade that emulates the billowing fabric of a closed curtain. Perforations in key areas allow for elegant lighting of the building’s signage.

As part of the Design Assist process, a mockup is produced to further aid in downstream planning. The mockup serves a critical function in each project, often revealing previously unknown insights and methodologies for efficient fabrication and installation.

Winspear Opera House

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Performance Center Dallas--Texas Foster & Partners, Kendall Heaton Associates Grey, Red, Silver L 2009 /by cmorris

Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

The Winspear Opera House is one of five venues comprising the new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Zahner worked on several of them. Zahner was also responsible for the Wyly Theatre, directly across the street from the Winspear Opera House.

Zahner produced the canopy which covers the Winspear as well as the Strauss Square and Sammons Park. These two venues offer outdoor performances and projected shows.

Designing the Canopy

Zahner worked closely with the architect to develop a high-quality engineered surface that is easily installed and provides long-term performance. The Winspear Opera House canopy was designed as a solar shade by the architects at Foster.

Photograph of the Winspear Opera House at night in Dallas, Texas

The angles of the massive fins were determined by following the path of the sun. The design intent was to eliminate most of the direct sunlight on the Winspear Opera House and surrounding park, while increasing the ambient light underneath the canopy. Foster’s design creates a cooler microclimate around the building, and the canopy significantly reduces the energy requirements of the Winspear Opera House.

Winspear Opera House and Strauss Square outdoor performance space.

The Arts in all their many exciting forms are a bridge between people – Annette Strauss.

Detail of the Winspear Opera House aluminum canopy

Detail of the Winspear Opera House Canopy

The high-craft aluminum canopy has aircraft-grade connections and is engineered and fabricated with the highest design standards. The photographs show above show the artful design layout of the fins integrating into the canopy framework.

Interior Metalwork

In addition to producing the canopy which shades the entire campus of the Winspear, Zahner also engineered and fabricated the entrance desks in the theater’s lobby and atrium. These desks are produced using half-inch thick anodized aluminum.

Zahner fabricated three desks for the interior atrium, which serve as ticketing booths and winebars. Each of the desks feature high-quality connections that are completely hidden from plane view. The design is a slight curve which matches the general curvature of the interior layout.

The Winspear Opera House is adjacent to the Wyly Theatre in Dallas whose exterior surface was also engineered and produced by Zahner.

Winds of Aphrodite

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Parking Structure, Transportation Kansas City Crawford Architects Suikang Zhao Grey, Silver L 2008 /by cmorris

Bartle Hall Convention Center Loading Dock Remodel

Working with artist Suikang Zhao, Crawford Architects led a redesign of the Bartle Hall Loading Dock to provide both a face-lift and a functionality-lift. The new design features an expanded aluminum screen wall developed by Zahner, offering a uniquely artistic first-impression of downtown Kansas City. The project aluminum screen skin connects to a galvanized steel superstructure, and as night falls, thousands of computer-color-controlled LEDS light up the mesh screen.

Working collaboratively with Crawford Architects, I designed art that is integrated into architect and the north and west facade of the screen-covered loading dock. The basic design idea is about soften monolithic monstrous design of 70’s into tangible / feminine touch as if a piece of giant fabric flying from sky and happen to catch up the corner of the Convention Center. Layers of steel meshes creates changing moment of mystical appearance depending on weather and time of day, and is lit up by computer-color-controlled LED light in the evening.

Completed in 2008, the project required the transformation of a 70’s brutalist structure into a softened and tangible work, as if it were a giant strip of fabric flying from the sky which happened to catch the corners of the convention center. Because of the way that downtown Kansas City highways are organized, when visitors first exited the highway, they would see the Bartle Hall Convention Center’s loading docks, replete with overflowing dumpsters and big trucks unloading for the upcoming show.

Dusk photograph of the Winds of Aphrodite artwork on Bartle Hall Loading Dock.

Moire patterns on the expanded aluminum facade and artwork at Bartle Hall

Light filters through the Winds of Aphrodite's aluminum surface on Bartle Hall Loading Dock.

The formed expanded aluminum surface allows light to filter into the Bartle Hall Loading Dock.

The corner of the Bartle Hall Loading Dock renovation.

The other part of the problem was that it was hard for the large trucks to enter the space because the original space wasn’t well thought-out. Architects at Crawford re-designed the framework and brought in Chinese artist Suikang Zhao to bring a flowing perforated aluminum screen, produced, fabricated, and installed by Zahner. Zahner was also integral in the Design Assist Process, where the artists, architects and Zahner engineering directors and designers work to maximize and refine the end design.

Drawing of the semi-truck pathways taken at Bartle Hall's loading dock.

The result of all this preparation is a new Bartle Hall Convention Center that works. The triangular screens appear as sails flowing in the wind, allowing light to enter and disguising the view of the docks. The previously underused loading docks are now used by every big truck that unloads at Bartle Hall.

The architects’ redesign of the Bartle Hall Loading Dock included looking at the paths that a truck takes, making it more efficient for semi-trucks to pull in, unload, and depart from the loading bay.