Zoo | Zahner

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium

November 1, 2021/in Exterior Architecture Entertainment, Renovation, Sculpture, Zoo Omaha--Nebraska Smith Bourne & Associates Blue, Green, Grey, Orange, Silver, White M 2019 Featured /by dsegard

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

Originally built in 1995, renovations for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium at the Omaha Zoo were completed in May 2020, featuring a redesigned facade, an updated outdoor cafeteria area, and new entrance features to the aquarium and aquarium conference center. As our third project in the Omaha metro area, Zahner provided various new design elements for this renovation, including the stainless steel wave facade on top of the building, the custom-cut metal coral features and column covers, the dimpled blue stainless steel cladding around the café, and the milled sea creatures that adorn the walls surrounding the space.

Completed Sea Turtle Cafe at the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Completed entrance sign for the aquarium, fabricated utilizing Zahner's ZEPPS system.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium exterior and Sea Turtle Cafe at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo at sunset.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Zahner was brought on early in the concept development stage to provide Design Assist, which allowed us to work closely with the project team to refine the design intent, provide guidance on materials and finishes, and construct a comprehensive mockup for review before the project went into full fabrication. Due to this collaboration, there were zero change orders on the scope, and installation ran smoothly in cooperation with the contractor and the other trades’ schedules.

Original sketch for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade, by Mark Bourne.

Photo courtesy of Henry Doorly Zoo

Visual mockup for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade, assembled in Zahner's Kansas City facility.

Night viewing of the mockup for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade.

The freeform wave facade that sits atop the Sea Turtle Café was fabricated using Zahner’s ZEPPS™ technology, which combined the framing structure and the exterior skin into a complete curvilinear system. The individual wave units were pre-fabricated in our shop and shipped to the job site, where Zahner field technicians installed the full facade.

Zahner field workers install the wave facade on top of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

Profile of the completed wave facade on top of the Sea Turtle Cafe at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

The face of the waves features a custom etched pattern that provides a reflective, rippling water effect.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

View of the Sea Turtle Cafe outdoor space at sunset with lighting.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Various multi-color lighting systems were incorporated into the design to emphasize the aquatic theme at night.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Decorative painted aluminum coral features adorn the edges of the café’s canopy and wrap the supporting columns. These were cut on our water jet before they were hand-rolled to the correct radius.

Custom-embossed blue stainless steel clads the walls of the Sea Turtle Café and mimics the look of rippling water. Zahner fabricated a custom die to create this seemingly random emboss pattern. This feature is further highlighted by the lighting throughout the space, creating a fully immersive experience for visitors.

Zahner also provided the various metal sea creatures that decorate the walls of the café and the entrance sign. Each sea creature was individually milled out of aluminum on our CNC equipment.

The dual-layered coral feaures were waterjet cut out of aluminum to clad the edge of the canopy.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Custom rippled blue stainless steel clads the ceiling of the outdoor cafe to create an underwater feel to the space.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Custom milled sea turtles and starfish against the rippled blue stainless steel cladding.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Zahner millled out several different sea creatures to decorate the walls of the cafe, including sharks, jellyfish, turtles, stingrays, and starfish.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

All elements of Zahner's scope are further emphasized at night time.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

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.

Kansas City Zoo

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Zoo Kansas City BNIM Brown M 1995 /by cmorris

The Deramus Education Pavilion at the Kansas City Zoo

Designed by BNIM, the Deramus Education Pavilion was created to symbolize the Kansas City Zoo and provide a preparatory experience for every zoo visitor. Zahner provided the custom copper standing seam and bold batten roof panels. These featured built-in gutters which were formed to create a unique geometry on the surface.

The roof systems throughout the project were installed as raw sheet, and will be allowed to naturally age. Over the years, the project has developed a dark brown patina, and after a few decades, will develop a deep green-blue patina.

The copper sheets were developed as standing seam and bold batten roof panels. These were designed with custom built-in gutters formed to cap the roof’s unique geometry.

Related System

Canopy

Custom canopies fabricated with Zahner engineering benefit from high-quality craft and attention to detail. Zahner engineers work with designers and contractors to develop integrated systems which meet a range of desired aesthetics, from historic restorations and filigree to contemporary geometric forms.

Aerial imagery of the Deramus entrance pavilion at the Kansas City Zoo.

The design of the building integrates many sustainable strategies. The building plan takes advantage of the site’s solar orientation. Operable windows are a part of the building’s envelope on the south, east, and west facades, allowing for natural cross ventilation to occur when appropriate. A highly energy-efficient HVAC system was sought, and several energy efficiency measures were employed in the design to minimize the energy used throughout the building. Extensive use of natural daylighting is incorporated into the envelope of the building.

A few examples of the materials used in the building design are as follows: structure made completely of salvaged or sustainably managed wood products, a copper roof that is comprised of 80% post-consumer waste copper and ‘waste’ marble floors (that is, floors made from marble that has been rejected for other purposes).