Landscape Architecture

Pro Patria Mori

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Memorial, Passive Security, Public Art Kansas City Ellen Driscoll M 2006 /by cmorris

Pro Patria Moria: Security gates for WW1 Memorial

Pro Patria Moria is a permanent artwork by Ellen Driscoll made using Zahner art fabrication services. Completed in 2006, the public work consists of two panoramic gates that form the entrance to the Liberty Memorial Mall and The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri.

Driscoll worked collaboratively with team at A. Zahner Company to design, engineer, and fabricate the gates. Each of the massive gates have a frieze inlaid with mosaic tiles. Beneath the frieze, laser cut steel panels depict soldiers marching, creating a panorama viewable from inside and outside Liberty Memorial Mall. The museum archives inspired the gates’ imagery while a line in Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” inspired the name for the work.

When the gates are open, they create an 80’ long panorama; when closed, they form two separate panoramas, visible from both the approach to the site, and when leaving. The archives of the museum provide the main source for the glass mosaic imagery, along with images of the artist’s two grandfathers who fought in World War 1, and trench maps from their scrapbooks.

Detail of the metal gate system with ceramic inlay by the artist Ellen Driscoll.

Detail of the metal gate system with ceramic inlay.

Detail of the laser-cut stainless steel gate system.

Detail of the photomosaic and perforated metal.

Concept drawing from the artist Ellen Driscoll.

Related Project

911 Memorial Overland Park

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.

Waipolu Gallery

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Museum, Residential Hawaii, Oahu--Hawaii Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Blue, Brown, Indigo, Red M 2009 /by cmorris

Waipolu Gallery and Studio

The Waipolu Gallery, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, was designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ). Built to house a privately-owned collection of post-World War II painting and sculpture, the structure offers a stunning setting for appreciating art.

Zahner fabricated the custom façade finished in Dirty Penny copper. The patinated surface will continue to evolve over time, much like the aging of the sculptures displayed within.

In 2010, Waipolu Gallery received the North American Copper in Architecture award in addition to several design awards for the work of BCJ architects.

Detail of the custom patina on copper panels for the Waipolu Gallery.

Panoramic photo of the Waipolu Gallery and Studio during construction

“The biggest challenge was to make this a great place – to be brilliant to the art for this client, in this place. I thrive on the challenge and the opportunity to make a great building and an extraordinary place. One of the great pleasures in architecture is to be able to reflect people with places and then — how to make things – how to shape them.”
— Peter Bohlin

The gallery’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean to the south and Diamond Head to the northeast afford views from the building itself, shown above (during construction).

Detail of the copper window framing for Waipolu Gallery during construction

Photo of the Waipolu Gallery facade during construction

Detail of the interior metalwork, fabricated by Zahner for the Waipolu Gallery.

“Malleability of the material was important due to the fact that the installation was occurring at a great distance from the fabrication shop and some shaping in the field was necessary,” said the project architect, Campie Ellis. “We also liked the idea that the building’s coloring would change over time, creating an evolving work or sculpture.”

W Hollywood

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Highrise, Hospitality, LEED Los Angeles--California Daly Genik, HKS Grey M 2010 /by cmorris

W Hollywood Flagship Hotel and Residences, Rooftop Canopy

One of the earliest completed architectural works which could be described as “generative design”, the rooftop canopy for the W Hollywood flagship was designed by HKS and Daly Genik. The design team’s concept was ahead of its time: the lightweight shingled surface which allows air and light to flow through its surface is both functionally and aesthetically forward-thinking, an aesthetic which became highly visible years after its completion.

Its form evokes the effect of a ruffled skirt, a concept which has become more prevalent since the structure’s completion. The design also provides a cooling effect both for its shade and breeze.

The 15-story award winning building is certified LEED Silver, winning the prestigious Millennium Award. Completed in 2010, the hotel is located in downtown Hollywood in California, an area which is becoming vertically dense with highrise buildings such as the W Hollywood.

Zahner was involved with the Daly Genik-designed curvilinear aluminum and steel canopy on the building’s rooftop garden. The canopy brings thousands of shingled aluminum panels to adorn the curving form which serves as a shade canopy for W Hollywood pool-side guests.

W Hollywood Hotel in CAD

Image © A. Zahner Company.

Architects from Daly Genik examine the mockup at Zahner.

The system borrows components from the ZEPPS process, which informed both the fabrication and installation process for the rooftop cabana. Zahner’s Design Assist team designed the details and engineered the structural canopy. The Design Assist team met with architects from Daly Genik to develop a section of the canopy as a mockup, which was constructed in the Zahner shop in Kansas City.

Architect's Rendering of the W Hollywood Flagship Hotel.

W Hollywood Further Reading

The highlight of the hotel’s rooftop pool area is a curving cabana wrapped in aluminum scales; it was designed by Daly Genik Architects, which also was responsible for the condominium interiors and the striking Douglas fir-lined lobby for the condo tower. Kevin Daly, a founder of the firm, said the W asked him to design the cabana as ‘a Venus’ flytrap for supermodels.

— Christopher Hawthorne, LA Times

Below are links to both external resources, articles, and press, as well as internal links to similar projects and products used in the W Hollywood Flagship Hotel.

W Hollywood Awards The W Hollywood Website.
Architects Newspaper Team Hollywood Alissa Walker, January 2010
LA Times W Hotel: An Urban Complexity Christopher Hawthorne, January 2010
Google Maps W Hotel Hollywood Map in Zahner Earth
Zahner Product: ZEPPS Process for building complex curves

Trinity River

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture LEED, Museum Dallas--Texas Antoine Predock Architect PC Brown L 2008 /by cmorris

Trinity River Audubon Center

Designed by New Mexico-based architectural firm Antoine Predock PC, the new project is connected to one of the largest inner-city forests in the United States. The Building serves as an exhibit hall for both the interior and exterior natural phenomena.

Completed in 2008, the project uses a precursor to Solanum Steel, a surface Zahner designed for long-term durable exterior steel surfaces. Zahner was the producer and installer of the weathering steel wall panels used on the exterior facade.

The is the first LEED-Certified building constructed by the Parks and Recreation Department of Dallas, Texas. It includes a vegetated roof, rainwater collection systems, recycled construction materials and energy eficient systems.

Covered area at the Trinity River Audubon Center.

Zahner is a long-time fabricator and collaborator for Predock Architecture, having provided the engineered facades for the Museum of Science and Industry in Florida, the Hoag Rawling Museum in Colorado, the Tacoma Museum of Art in Washington, and the El Paso Federal Courthouse in Texas.

South entrance for the Trinity River Audubon Center.

Detail of the Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas, Texas

Detail of the South entrance to the Trinity River Audubon Center.

Aerial photograph of the Trinity River Audubon site.

Silver Towers

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Highrise, Residential New York City James Carpenter Design Associates Silver L /by cmorris

Silver Towers Courtyard Trellis in New York

Silver Towers is a development in New York City which features Zahner manufactured perforated metal and glass systems. The courtyard, plinth and rooftop terrace design by James Carpenter Design Associates, brings an artistic approach to both the facade as well as the landscape for the residential project.

Between the two high-rise towers is a six floor plinth, the interior courtyard of which features a 75 foot light wall. Various metal and glass light fixtures which feature the artist’s pattern.

Zahner was hired by the architect to design, engineer, and fabricate these metal and glass systems. Each of the fixtures features a perforated metal floral pattern designed by the architect, contained within a glass and stainless steel lightbox.

Also known as River Place II, the project features two 57 floor twin towers and is located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan Island. The project was developed by Larry Silverstein and completed in 2009.

Perforated panels on Hope Tower at UNMC at dusk.

Related Project

Hope Tower at UNMC

The tower serves provides a beacon for students, serving as both a navigational tool and an artistic centerpiece. Zahner provided the ti-coated stainless steel panels, perforated and prepped for installation onto the architect's engineered frame. These panels were engineered and produced at Zahner at the Kansas City plant.

Silver Towers light fixtures and metalwork.

Silver Towers Mockup at the Zahner shop.

Silver Towers Mockup with lighting system

Above is a photograph of the towers during the day. Zahner produced some metalwork at the building’s top, similar in pattern and effect to those in the building’s courtyard. This rooftop courtyard has not yet been photographed.

Silver Towers is the first project that Zahner has provided metalwork for James Carpenter Design Associates. Recently, Zahner also completed a spiraling 120 foot tower in Nebraska for the architectural firm.

Patio de las Jacarandas

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Pergola, Public Art Aguascalientes--Mexico, Central Mexico, Mexico Arturo Revilla and Jose Luis Jimenez Garcia, Hendrix + Studio Jan Hendrix White L /by cmorris

Patio de las Jacarandas at Aguascalientes, Mexico

Patio de Las Jacarandas is a Jan Hendrix and Hendrix Studio-designed work of public art in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The project’s metal canopy was developed and fabricated by Zahner in water-jet cut aluminum.

Situated at the historic Plaza de la Patria in Aguascalientes, the Patio de las Jacarandas is an architectural open-air canopy. Arturo Revilla and Jose Luis Jimenez Garcia served as the project’s architects, while Zahner’s scope on the project centered around the engineering and fabrication of the art canopy.

The system was engineered and tested by Zahner, and then manufactured and delivered to the jobsite where local installers erected the screen wall. The project was completed in 2015, and features a two-tiered canopy of water jet-cut aluminum plates. Both layers of cut-out metal are painted to create the white ¼” aluminum plate.

The Patio de las Jacarandas provides a place to gather in Aguascalientes.

The Jan Hendrix canopy mirrors the surrounding plant life at Aguascalientes.

Overhead view of the Aguascalientes project.

Canopy Filtered Shading with Diaphanous Light

Two layers of waterjet cut artwork make up the roof of the Aguascalientes canopy. The first layer, suspended on the bottom of the canopy, shows the overlapping branches of the jacaranda tree. The second layer of cutout leaves is installed 16” above the lower ceiling canopy.

These two layers are held apart from one another using tension cables. The distance between each layer gives the illusion of peering through tree branches. Intriguing shadows are also created, offering an immersive, shaded area for pedestrians in the city square to rest beneath.

The canopy’s two layers are designed to evoke the jacaranda tree at different seasons of the year. This motif was selected by the artist due to its prevalence in Aguascalientes. Numerous jacarandas are planted in parks and public areas across the City of Aguascalientes as well as throughout central Mexico. Their blooms are heralded as a symbol of the beginning of the spring season, blooming in February.

Patio de las Jacarandas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Creating the Cut Plate Material

To accommodate the intricate lines, the artwork is fairly thin in some areas, ¼” aluminum plate was used to water jet-cut the desired pattern. Using plate material gives extra support for artwork, and keeps delicate lines from bending or becoming misshapen as the public interacts with the art.

Jan Hendrix supplied Zahner with models, sketches, and finished drawings of the artwork. Zahner team of design engineers translated the artwork into files for manufacturing and cutting the metal shapes out of the aluminum plate. After the cutting process was completed, the panels and structural components were painted white and sent to the job site in Mexico for installation.

Zahner fabricators pre-assemble the Hendrix-designed canopy in Kansas City.

Jan Hendrix model for the Patio de las Jacarandas canopy.

Unique Column Design for Patio de Las Jacarandas

At the north end of the patio canopy, Jan Hendrix’s design extends down from the upper canopy into the gathering space, in the form of a perforated column. Although the surface appears as though it encases a structural support, the column is hollow with no enclosed structural support.

While the canopy depicts the leaves and branches of the jacaranda tree, the column shows the profile of their famous blooms. In this manner, the patio shows the entire lifespan for the blooms of the jacaranda through all four seasons.

This concept is further reinforced by the planting of several new jacaranda trees at the center of the patio. Throughout the years as the Patio de las Jacarandas sees further community interaction, the trees will continue to grow new blossoms each spring, creating a more impressive show each year.

At the northern corner of the project, a plate aluminum column cuts through the canopy.

Related System

Column Cover

Custom column cover systems provide decorative and functional aspects to both interior and exterior architectural design. Column cover manufacturing has been a mainstay of A. Zahner Company's production for several decades, producing both custom and standard systems for designers all over the world.

The column system was assembled in three separate panels, which align together with such precision that the seams become nearly invisible. Panels on the upper canopy also translate the design without the visual appearance of seams.

To create this seamless look, Zahner examines the pattern’s parametric relationship, mapping out individual elements as they relate to the entire design. This way, lines and patterns can cross between various panels without being interrupted by ‘picture frame’ edges. This technology is used across the entire project, so that the construction methods do not become distracting to the artist’s design.

Opening gala event for the Patio de las Jacarandas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Opening Ceremony for the Patio de las Jacarandas

The opening ceremony took place during the Summer of 2015, and was attended by The Governor of Aguascalientes, Carlos Lozano de la Torre and his wife Blanca Rivera Rio Flores. The two were influential in bringing the project to the State of Aguascalientes.

Jan Hendrix, pictured with Governor Carlos Lozano de la Torre and his wife Blanca Rivera Rio Flores at the opening.

Sunlight filters through the Jan Hendrix-designed canopy at Aguascalientes.

Ground level fountain accents the canopy design at Aguascalientes.

Perforated metal canopy casts shadows at Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Patio de las Jacarandas, Aguascalientes, Mexico.

After the project was completed, Jan Hendrix was honored at the opening ceremony at the Patio de las Jacarandas. As an artist of renown who has moved into the architectural world, Hendrix has translated his works on paper into physical manifestations for communities all over the world.

Zahner has completed over a dozen works for Jan Hendrix, which are located in city centers and private collections around the globe.

Hoi Polloi

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Public Art, Sculpture, Urban Design St. Louis--Missouri HNTB Lindsey Stouffer L, M 2006 /by cmorris

Hoi Polloi at Forsyth Metrolink Station

Hoi Polloi is a public artwork by Lindsey Stouffer, located at the Forsyth Metrolink stop in the greater St. Louis area. The artwork was manufactured by Zahner in Kansas City.

The Forsyth St. Louis MetroLink stop is a below-grade, open-air station located at the intersection of Forest Park Parkway and Forsyth Boulevard on the border of University City and Clayton, Missouri in the greater St. Louis metro area. The public artwork is one of nine commissioned for the St. Louis railway extension as part of the HNTB-designed Cross County Metrolink Extension.

Related Project

Capitol Federal Hall

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.

Hoi Polloi public artwork for the St. Louis Metrolink at Forsyth Station.

The artwork consists of four large metal screen assemblies which face one another, divided by the metro’s train tracks. Perforations in the screens create an optical illusion, a moire effect which appears to shimmer as viewers descend into the amphitheater-like space.

The Manufacturer Behind Public Art

Zahner was selected by the artist to produce this public artwork for the St. Louis Metrolink. The artist’s plans were translated to constructible schematics through Zahner’s Design Assist program, a process whereby Zahner engineers work within a budget to develop a customized plan for building art and architecture.

After the design assist phase, the project went through a more typical engineering for production, and was then manufactured at the Zahner plant in Kansas City. The parts were crated and shipped to the jobsite, where the sculpture was assembled and installed by Zahner’s fabrication team.

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.

“

It’s intended to feel intimate and monolithic, durable and penetrable, relevant and timeless, specific and general.

.atcategory

Perfectly Perforated

Over the early 1990's, patterned usage of perforated metal began to appear. At the time, the pattern were limited by programming. It wasn't until the early two-thousands, when Herzog & de Meuron designed the de Young Museum, that perforated metal would truly enter into its own.

Hoi Polloi explores the way a person thinks and feels entering a public space. ”It’s intended to feel intimate and monolithic, durable and penetrable, relevant and timeless, specific and general.“ — Lindsey Stouffer, the artist behind Hoi Polloi, a large-scale public artwork for the Forysthe Metrolink Station.

Zahner created the two main artworks on the site, which measure 20’ h. x 15’ w. (South), and 26’ h. x 30’ w. (North). Zahner was also responsible for crafting a custom railing system which integrates into the hardware of the perforated metal artwork.

Zahner’s involvement with the art community for both public and private artworks has steadily increased as the company produces ever-more complex and artistically innovative works of architecture.

As many works of public art do, the Hoi Polloi environmental sculpture straddles the line between fine art and architecture, and pushes the boundaries of both in the process.

Chihuly Bridge of Glass

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Bridge, Exhibit, Museum, Pedestrian Bridge Tacoma--Washington Andersson-Wise Architects Dale Chihuly Blue, Grey M 2002 /by cmorris

Chihuly Bridge at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington

The Chihuly Bridge is a destination feature for Tacoma, Washington. Designed by Andersson-Wise Architects as an addition to the Tacoma Museum of Glass, the project provides a pedestrian bridge to downtown Tacoma. Made possible by a donation from Jim and Carolyn Milgard, the bridge crosses over major rail lines and links the Museum of Glass to Union Station and the State History Museum.

Zahner served as both the sole contractor and manufacturer in the production of the Chihuly Bridge of Glass. This construction included all structural steel, glazing and cladding elements as well as fiber optics and vacuum HVAC system within the cases.

Related Project

Museum of Glass

Zahner produced the metalwork for the glass bridge as well as the massive cone which can be identified throughout the downtown area. The cone was manufactured in stainless steel diamond panel system which was attached to a ZEPPS structural framework, each made by Zahner.

The system that Zahner used for the glass encasement of the artworks is the Drop Lock glass installation system, which allows for easy installation and sustainable maintenance. The system builds on Zahner’s patented Inverted Seam system for creating co-planar metal facades and roofs. The assembled panels provide rapid installation, require no silicone, and result in a visually clean edge with a dry look.

Visitors who walk across the bridge get a closer look at the work of artist Dale Chihuly. The bridge is divided into three sections:

— Seaform Pavilion: a glass ceiling and canopy system showcasing 2,364 works of Chihuly glass from his Seaform and Persian series.
— Crystal Towers: a permanent art installation by Chihuly, rising 40 feet above the bridge deck and serve as beacons of light.
— Venetian Wall: an eighty-foot long installation displaying 109 sculptures from three of Chihuly’s series: Venetians, Ikebana, and Putti.

Venetian Wall for the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, with Museum of Glass in the background

Pedestrians cross the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Venetian Wall at the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Seaform Pavilion at the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Chihuly Bridge Seaform Pavilion, designed by Andersson Wise

Zahner field construction crew delivers the Seaform Pavilion for the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Zahner field construction crew installs the Seaform Pavilion for the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Plaque for the Venetian Wall at the Chihuly Bridge of Glass

Chihuly Bridge designed by Andersson Wise.

Press

US Glass Magazine – Chihuly Connections: New Bridge Creates A Link to Museum of Glass.
ArchNewsNow – Chihuly Bridge of Glass By Arthur W. Andersson, AIA/Andersson-Wise Architects

Art Wall at Doha

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Education, Sculpture Asia, Doha--Qatar, International, Middle East Hendrix + Studio, Legorreta + Legorreta Jan Hendrix White M 2010 /by cmorris

Art Wall at HBKU Doha University – Student Center

Completed in the Summer of 2010, Helix is a project designed by artist Jan Hendrix with architectural firm Legoretta & Legoretta of Mexico. Zahner engineered and manufactured the painted aluminum panels and substructure in Kansas City and shipped the completed pieces to Doha, Qatar, where local installers placed the large metal plates on both the interior and exterior frameworks.

The project involves hundreds of massive water jet cut and painted aluminum panels, and includes a 40′ high tower in the center courtyard. The pattern cut into the panels replicates the drawings of Jan Hendrix.

Related Project

Hendrix Mexico Sculpture

Completed in 2013, the latest Jan Hendrix sculpture was commissioned by a private collector as a permanent installation on the client's property. The human-scale sculpture includes a landscaped lighting system designed to accentuate the polished aluminum surface.

Designed to Build

Jan Hendrix worked closely with the Zahner Design Assist team to develop the project for production. The artist provided to Zahner both a digital model as well as multiple physical models as the design progressed.

The project required close attention to each panel’s relation to one another, so that the artist’s lines would transition without breaks from panel to panel. This is called the ‘Parametric Relationship’ and it’s a key part of the ZIRA patented system developed by Zahner to translate images, drawings, and patterns into metal panel systems.

From left to right: Jan Hendrix, Zahner President CEO L. William Zahner, and Zahner Engineering Director Paul Martin

The completed project features the artist’s pattern on both the interior and exterior of the student center. Note how the lines transition smoothly across seams from plate to plate. Zahner engineers worked to transfer the artist’s drawings into metal, all while maintaining the system’s parametric relationship.

Each half-inch plate is 20 feet by 8 feet, and the material was water-jet cut on our system of the same size. To see how artists are collaborating with Zahner, including works by Jan Hendrix, visit Hands of the Artist.

Zahner worked with the artist, Jan Hendrix, to define his image digitally so that it could be water-jet cut and fabricated into a cohesive composition with smooth lines flowing across multiple panels.

The public artwork and courtyard is located in the outer edges of Northwest Doha, Qatar. The project was one of the first to be completed with Jan Hendrix, who has worked with Zahner engineers and fabricators on a number of projects. Learn more about producing similar surfaces in water jet-cut aluminum by Contacting Zahner.