Museum | Zahner

The Mexican Museum

The Mexican Museum is a distinctive space located in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco. The museum’s vision is to reflect the evolving scope of the Mexican, Chicano, Hispanic, Mexican-American, and Latino experience.

Zahner’s scope includes an exquisite and stunning façade, designed by Jan Hendrix, and is comprised of sprawling stainless-steel panels. The use of Zahner’s Angel Hair® and mirror polish stainless steel provides contrasting views from both inside the museum and out.

Topography from the Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico was used by Hendrix’s studio to create the façade imagery. This, coupled with the unique three-dimensional panel innovations, creates a one-of-a-kind viewing experience.

Zahner’s collaboration with the artist, Jan Hendrix; the architect, Handel; the contractor, Webcor; and The Mexican Museum led to a flawless execution through engineering, production, and delivery. Zahner is proud to be a part of this project and the rich history of the museum content.

stunning façade designed by Jan Hendrix For The Mexican Museum.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Jan Hendrix Explains the Design Approach

The facade was constructed in two layers. The designs were inspired by topographical maps provided to the artist by The Mexican Land Survey.

Topographical map used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Topographical map of wind patterns used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Topographical map of water migrations used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Geographical map used in the facade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Composition of the two facade screens separated.

Renderings by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Combined composition of the STAINLESS STEEL façade by Jan Hendrix.

Renderings by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Closeup of the stainless steel façade.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

View from behind the stainless steel façade.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Constructing the Façade

Constructing the facade with Zahner’s Angel Hair® and mirror polish stainless steel.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

The Mexican Museum in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

The Mexican Museum in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Constructing the facade for The Mexican Museum.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Lakeside Nature Center

March 16, 2017/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Civic, Museum, Urban Design, Zoo Kansas City International Architects Atelier M 1999 /by cmorris

Lakeside Nature Center in Swope Park, Kansas City

Lakeside Nature Center is a bird and wildlife rehabilitation center in Kansas City. The building features a flat seam roof and interior metalwork provided by Zahner. The center, designed by International Architects Atelier, has a unique concept and layout, often described as if it were birds in flight.

Lakeside Nature Center serves the public as both an educational and recreational resource. It also provides one of Missouri’s largest wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Located in Swope Park, the building houses 75 animals including bald eagles and other birds of prey, reptiles and fish.

“Designing and building the structure was a major challenge”, said Mark McHenry, Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation. “It’s a hard building to construct”, McHenry said, “everything is built with odd angles. It’s not a box”.

The building was commissioned by the Kansas City Parks Department in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation. The project was developed with environmental systems, including passive solar design, energy management systems, and sustainable materials.

Lakeside Nature Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Museum of the Bible

March 3, 2017/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Museum Washington D.C. SmithGroup Larry Kirkland Brown M 2017 /by cmorris

Artist Larry Kirkland, known for his large-scale public art, was commissioned to create the entrance portals that greet each visitor to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Kirkland selected Zahner to help bring his artistic vision to reality.

At nearly 40 feet high, the massive portals are the largest of their kind in the world. The finalized design contains the first 80 lines of Genesis written in Latin, as originally printed in the Gutenberg Bible, but milled in reverse, to mimic the orientation of printing plates.

The amount of master craftsmanship and hand work applied throughout the process achieves a special artisan touch that no machine alone could ever produce. As viewers pass by, surface tones and colors will change in a dynamic process, just as Gutenberg’s illuminated Bibles do to this day.

Detail: Single line of milled text on bronze plate.

Development & Fabrication Process

Zahner engineers collaborated closely with Kirkland to ensure the artist’s intent remained intact throughout the design and fabrication process. Involving analytical, machine and master hand work, the bronze panels were created in a detailed, time consuming process, spanning two and a half years from concept to completion.

Process mock-up from raw bronze material (left) to final patinated surface (right).

Zahner engineers translated Kirkland’s 2D drawings into 3D geometry, approximating the design elements of Gutenberg’s original cast letters. The typeface is a traditional Blackletter style. The 3D geometry was used to generate tool paths directly to a CNC Vertical Bridge Mill machine. The machine carved each line of text from solid one-inch brass panels (the marginalia and border plates from ½ inch solid brass), often taking eight hours or more per piece to complete. The brass alloy of copper and zinc was specially formulated in Germany, and all waste material from the plates’ creation was recycled.

Finalized portal sections prior to site shipping.

In keeping with the original Gutenberg inspiration, vertical lines were etched into the text panels’ background referencing the lines produced from individual type blocks used in Gutenberg’s printing technique. Viewers may notice some combined letters, called monograms. Monograms join often used letter pairs, serving the tri-purpose of speeding up the typesetting process, economizing space and reducing cost. Instead of the traditional Western 26 letter alphabet, Gutenberg’s Bible contains over 250 letters, letter combinations, and punctuation marks. By creating often used combinations and duplications from the beginning, the printing process became much more fluid and fast. Close to 200 different letter forms, including variations on a single letter, punctuation, and combined letters can be seen on the portals.

Detail of raised lettering and final patina application.

The ten marginalia plates were similarly produced but instead of text, showcase illustrations. Marginalia is a term used for decorative artwork placed in the margins of a book. Upon purchase of a Gutenberg bible, the new owner would hire an illustrator to illuminate the blank border spaces and/or create highly decorative capital letters. These illuminations often referred to subjects within the text or might be something specifically requested by the owner. The Museum portal marginalia was inspired by William Morris, the famed Arts and Crafts design master, and was illustrated by Rob Wood of Wood Ronsaville Harlin.

Bronze panels prior to patina application.

Once the bridge mill carving was complete, a needle hammer background was carefully hand produced to mimic the texture of a sand mold, the technique by which Gutenberg cast his original moveable letters. The final step of panel completion involved application of a custom formulated patina, lacquered to mitigate environmental changes over time.

A Zahner craftsman applies a needle finish to a panel background.

Additional project scope included the addition of an aluminum ImageWall system, a Zahner patented process to create perforated imagery in metal, installed in the entry vestibule. The perforated design mimics that of the portal marginalia, ensuring aesthetic consistency from exterior to interior.

Installation of an ImageWall custom perforated panel system, a Zahner patented process.

Facts of Note

The panels are the largest of their kind in the world.
Material: 1-inch thick brass; zinc and copper alloy specifically formulated in Germany.
Height: 37 feet, 6 1/4 inches
Width: 43 feet in their entirety
Weight: 7 tons and 9 tons, respectively, not including the steel sub-structure that supports the plates.
Finish on Plates: Custom patina with protective acrylic resin coating

New England Aquarium

December 30, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Museum, Renovation Boston--Massachusetts Schwartz/Silver Silver L 1996 /by cmorris

New England Aquarium in Boston

Founded in 1967, the New England Aquarium in Boston set a precedent for many future aquariums. Its urban waterfront setting served as a tourist destination, while providing an educational resource to its community and region. The original building was designed by Cambridge Seven, providing site planning, architecture, exhibit design, and all interior design for the original New England Aquarium building.

In 1996, Zahner worked for Schwartz/Silver Architects to provide the building’s new western wing. The glass and steel addition includes the harbor seal exhibit on the public plaza, ticketing booth, changing exhibit galleries, gift shop, cafe, and lobby. Zahner provided custom stainless steel “fishscale” metal panels using custom wheel finish.

The new facility is a distinct addition to the old concrete building, celebrating its harbor-side location with stainless steel and glass additions. The shiny surfaces reference both the scales of sea creatures as well as moving water and its reflectivity.

Restoration: “That Profile”

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Museum, Public Art, Renovation, Restoration, Sculpture Los Angeles--California Martin Puryear L 1999 /by cmorris

Note: Contemporary metal materials are known for their inherent immutability. While a number of metals can withstand many decades, it is important to consider how these materials are fabricated and installed, such that environmental concerns, galvanic corrosion, alloy selection, and other factors are properly considered and understood.

The long-term preservation of metal art and architecture is at the forefront of the research by CEO L. William Zahner. Through his role as chairman at Metalabs and his ongoing research and publications, Mr. Zahner hopes to promote the resilience of both immutable and transformative metals throughout the disciplines of art, sculpture, and architecture.

Restoring Art: That Profile, by Martin Puryear

That Profile is a forty-five foot sculpture by American artist Martin Puryear. The artwork rises into the air above the Tram Arrival Plaza at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. Installed in 1999, the stainless steel and bronze sculpture began showing signs of deterioration after a short time, which led administrators at The Getty to seek an expert in metal restoration.

The Getty contacted L. William Zahner, an expert in the field of metal sciences, to run tests on That Profile and determine how to restore and protect it for the future. His analysis revealed that the stainless steel “nodes” or joints which connect the linear aspects of the sculpture had weakened in the California weather. Mr. Zahner developed a two-stage cleaning process with a chemical wash and electropolishing process to revive the original stainless steel finish and add strength to the nodes.

MARTIN PURYEAR, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; GETTY MUSEUM OF ART STAINLESS STEEL, BRONZE; 45′ X 30′ X 12′ 1999.

That Profile by Martin Puryear. Stainless steel and bronze sculpture.

Guggenheim Canopy

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Museum, Public Art New York City Frank Gehry Partners Rose, Yellow M 2001 /by cmorris

Guggenheim Canopy at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Canopy, designed by Frank Gehry Partners, is a Zahner-manufactured installation which was on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City beginning in 2001. The artwork was erected for a Frank Gehry retrospective at the Museum in May-August, 2001. In addition to providing the canopy, Zahner also manufactured a number of mirror-polish stainless steel tables for the rooftop cafe.

The canopy artwork was manufactured using a titanium skin and aluminum structure. The form was made using ZEPPS, the Zahner-patented technology for building sculptural forms. This system was used to build the aluminum structure. The titanium was then clad over the aluminum substrate using a custom flat seam system.

The titanium’s luminescent coloring was made possible by a thick layer of oxide on the metal surface. There are two distinct overlapping forms, and each is colored using a unique color of titanium-cladding made by varying the oxide thicknesses. This oxide process is called interference-coating, and can be used to create a range of iridescent colors on stainless steels and titanium surfaces.

Guggenheim Canopy during its installation at the Guggenheim in NYC.

Detail of the two color tones used on the Guggenheim Canopy.

Guggenheim Canopy during its installation.

Guggenheim Canopy at the Zahner facility in Kansas City.

Structural bones of the Guggenheim Canopy.

Spencer Art Museum

December 27, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Museum Lawrence--Kansas Pei Cobb Freed L. William Zahner Blue-grey, Grey, White S 2015 /by cmorris

University of Kansas Spencer Art Museum Renovation

Custom raw zinc plate planters were designed and fabricated by Zahner for the renovation of the Spencer Museum as part of the new landscape for the building. New donor plaques were also engraved for the Museum.

In 2010, the Spencer Museum partnered with architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to develop a master renovation and expansion plan for its spaces. In April 2015, the Museum closed to the public for renovation. This 16-month project addressed the first part of the master plan and marked the first major renovation since the building’s opening.

Zahner was brought into the project by the Museum to provide landscape design. The company developed a design for the planters, and fabricated and delivered the zinc plate system. The zinc plates develop a white oxide layer, and will continue to weather and patina into a subtle grey-green over the years.

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.

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.