Exterior Architecture

Blue Mesa Restaurant

Fort Worth, TX

Restaurant facade and screen in angel hair stainless steel with imagery of tree branches.

Restaurant facade and ImageWall screen in angel hair stainless steel with imagery of tree branches.

Interior of restaurant viewing ImageWall screen in angel hair stainless steel.

Detail of ImageWall screen in angel hair stainless steel.

Restaurant facade and ImageWall screen in angel hair stainless steel with imagery of tree branches.

Detail of ImageWall screen structure.

Interior of restaurant viewing ImageWall screen in angel hair stainless steel.

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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15 Renwick

October 11, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Residential New York City ODA-Architecture Brown, Orange, Red M 2015 /by cmorris

15 Renwick Residential Development in Manhattan

Zahner provided exterior copper panels pre-patinated with a Dirty Penny finish.

15 Renwick is a 31-unit building, designed by ODA-Architecture, featuring a unique mix of 2- and 3-bedroom residences, three townhomes with private yards and four penthouse duplexes.

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

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

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.

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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.

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

65 East Goethe

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Historic, Residential Chicago--Illinois Lucien Lagrange Blue-grey, Grey M 2002 /by cmorris

65 East Goethe Street in Chicago, Illinois

65 E. Goethe Street was designed by Lucien Lagrange and features custom roof, facade, and window coverings by Zahner. Completed in 2002, the project required traditional building methods to match the architectural aesthetic.

The design reflects the architectural style of the Second French Empire, fitting for a building set in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast. Both roof and wall paneling systems were fabricated and installed using traditional standing seam roof practices.

The exterior cladding of the new luxury residences in Chicago by architects at Lucien Lagrange was produced by Zahner. The standing seam room wall panel design was clad with preweathered zinc, and features a wide range of historic architectural features.

Related Surface

65 East Goethe

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.

40 Bond Street

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Residential New York City Handel Architects, Herzog & de Meuron Brown, Green M 2007 /by cmorris

40 Bond Street in New York City

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with Handel Architects, 40 Bond Street is an Ian Schrager luxury residence located in the NoHo District of Manhattan. Zahner provided the building’s cladding in pre-patinated copper and mirror polish stainless steel.

The building is the first residential project in the United States designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The residence is also the firm’s first building in New York City. The copper and stainless steel were formed as bell-shapes which adorn the facade of the building. The reflective stainless steel sits behind a layer of cast glass, creating an intriguing light effect behind the facade’s glass exterior.

Since its completion in 2007, the building 40 Bond Street has become an important architectural icon in New York City. The building has influenced the current generation of architectural developments, influencing the design of luxury residences across the city.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Viewed from certain angles, the curved glass reflects the stainless steel underneath, making them nearly as reflective as chrome. From other points of view, the glass reads simply as glass, which, because of its unconventional application, is enough to stop passersby in their tracks. “We wanted the building to look like it was shrink-wrapped in glass,” according to Ashesh Saheba of Handel Architects in an interview in Metals in Construction.

The elevation of the rear facade the facade of the front. However, instead of the stainless steel and glass, the north facade uses blackened copper. The custom copper rear facade matches the bell-shaped mullion shapes of the glass front.

Over the decades, copper will slowly evolve, developing a green patina, a protective oxidization layer which hardens on the surface. In this sense, the building will eventually come to match the tonality of the front facade, unifying aesthetics over the years.