Black | Zahner

Oakley Fifth Avenue

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Flagship, Public Art, Storefront New York City Oakley Colin Baden Black, Blue-grey M 2015 /by cmorris

Oakley Fifth Avenue, New York City

Zahner worked with Oakley’s architectural team to create the new Oakley flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The project’s scope included the development of a geometric facade with no visible fasteners, which could be installed on a 100-year-old building across one of the busiest streets in New York.

This wasn’t Zahner’s first collaboration with Oakley. In the late 1990’s Zahner’s engineered metal-fabricated systems were used the facade and interiors of the Oakley Headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California.

For the Oakley Flagship at Fifth Avenue, the company’s unique ”Mad Science“ aesthetic shows through as a massive black geometric facade and canopy system for their latest retail experience.

Related Project

Oakley Headquarters

Designed by Oakley director of design Colin Baden with Langdon Wilson Architecture, the headquarters and technical center was completed in multiple scopes. The project first began in 1997 and was completed in 1998. Years later the company would come back for additional scope, producing the Oakley reception desk in the same aesthetic.

Details of Oakley Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Developing the Design for the Oakley Flagship on Fifth Ave

One of the design challenges for this project, was that the client didn’t want to show or see any fasteners on the surface of the system. Zahner engineers and fabricators rose to the challenge, providing a connectionless facade.

The aluminum skin used Radius Reduction technology to create the geometric forms. These angular forms were v-notched using a custom milling system developed by Zahner for making a v-groove on unique panels. On this system, each of the holes were cut, as well as the perimeter shape for the forms. Each panel had ten to fifteen skins in 3/16″ aluminum, with 3/4″ steel structure. The finished surface was painted with acrylic polyurethane coating system, spray-applied with Matthews System paint. The design has 8″ between the panels.

Architect's renderings of the Oakley Facade for Fifth Avenue Flagship.

The existing building is more than 100 years old, which created unique hurdles for attaching a heavy load. Zahner project team coordinated steel, and coordinated the site, for three months while developing the model. During this process, the design team discovered code changes providing additional challenges. The offset couldn’t go more than 18 inches off of the building. Some of the pieces were canopies, so there were limitations on how far off the building it could go.

As part of the project’s Design Assist phase I, a mockup was made of the design. This mockup was displayed in Kansas City for the clients, which provided valuable feedback for the fabrication of the final product.

Mockup at Zahner in Kansas City for the Oakley Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Aluminum profiles with notches cut for clips.

Making the most efficient installation possible.

The large elements were to be hoisted on one of the busiest avenues in Manhattan. So providing The design was essentially three sections: the steel structure, the aluminum clip, and then the aluminum skin. The clip had all the intelligence. As such it is a very smart object. The connection between steel and aluminum facade, is a clip connection.

There is no mechanical connection operation required in the field. The skin drove the geometry, and the structure followed the skin, and then clip was the intermediate. Zahner made notches in the steel, and small cut-outs in the skin for the clip system. There were 100’s of clip types, and 1000’s of clips in total. Each panel had a spreadsheet, and there were columns in the spreadsheet that had. Zahner engineers call this process powercopies. A powercopy is a reusable parametric modeled component. The end result is a face with no face fasteners. Invisible plug welds were used on the front, and rivets on the back.

Zahner strung conduit for the sign and lighting. The signs were placed on the sculptural form before being shipped out. On-site, the final wiring was simply making a connection. The project was installed on site in a matter of days.

Installers lift the Oakley panel on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

MOCA Cleveland

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Museum Cleveland--Ohio Fashid Moussavi Architecture, Westlake Reed Leskosky Black, Blue-grey L /by cmorris

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland

The new Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland comes from the architects at Farshid Moussavi Architects. The architects designed an elegant prism to house the museum’s collection in a new space that will maximize the 34,000 square foot structure. Zahner was brought on to provide complete facade services for the project, including design assist, engineering, fabrication, and installation of the building envelope & facade of glass and metal.

The design is deceptive in its complexity, appearing at first to be a hexagonal shape. When viewed from above, it becomes clear that the core of the structure is actually 92′ by 92′ cube. This addresses and resolves the common criticism that many of the newer museums with dynamic forms often face — that the space is not actually conducive for the display and viewing of art. This well-thought out museum brings the best of both worlds, with its visually striking design and ample space to display art.

The building’s hexagonal base gives the museum multiple entries, while the building’s square top lends itself to the museum’s rotating collection, allowing the space to be easily divided into flexible temporary spaces. Because the museum has no permanent collection of its own, it was important that the building’s interior lend itself to many different kinds of work.

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Cleveland.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland.

Zahner is closely involved with the construction of this shape and surface. Zahner produced a mock-up for the project in June of 2011 pictured below, and will work with the architects to translate the design of this intelligently conceived museum into an efficient and tightly engineered series of components.

TIMELAPSE OF THE MOCKUP FOR MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CLEVELAND

FILM © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Design Assist for MOCA Cleveland

Zahner provided Design Assist services for the architect. This team of engineers developed the design into a fully defined facade system. The contract entails a design charette, engineering, and a manufactured mockup to test performance details.

This design assist contract enables designers to meet their aesthetic and performance goals, while also working within a prescribed budget. It also puts the owner in control of costs because the entire facade has been defined digitally.

To meet the budget and design constraints required for the project, the team developed a mega-panel; pre-fabricated panels comprised of the finished interior skin, insulation, structure, sheathing, and waterproofing in a single unit.

The Cleveland MOCA’s smart angular design requires a highly engineered and crafted surface. In many ways, the building is as complex to build as some of our more curvilinear projects. The tight corners and edges have acute tolerances, leaving little wiggle room.

During May and June 2011, DAG and Operations teams worked with the architects to produce a mockup. This mockup served as a reference point for the design decisions as the project rolled out into production.

Photograph of the MOCA Cleveland nearing completion.

The mockup was built to simulate a corner-section at the top of the building. The mock-up for MOCA Cleveland was completed in June of 2011, and a few images of the architects’ visit are featured below.

Photograph of the MOCA Cleveland Mockup at Zahner.

Farshid Moussavi speaks with Zahner engineers about the MOCA Cleveland Mockup.

MOCA Cleveland Mockup during the FMA Visit.

Detail of the reflected sky in the MOCA Cleveland Mockup.

The material that was selected for this is a seductive dark mirror-polish stainless. Zahner has used a similar finish on a few projects, including a Libeskind-designed residence in the northeast United States. This metal surface is essentially a dark-tinted mirror, reflecting a darker image of its surroundings with perfect mirror accuracy, and imbuing the imagery of the sky and general surroundings on its dark polished surface. The image immediately above shows a detail of the reflected surface of both the inset glazing and the slightly darker reflective metal surface. The Zahner product that enables the flush glass and metal surfaces is called the Inverted Seam™ Glass System.

The building’s upward design was calculated to minimize distraction from reflected surfaces. The design was also tested using computer-modeled simulations of the sun as it arcs across the sky to prevent unwarranted glare and hot-spots.

This is the first museum by FMA, and its first major structure in the United States. Production is slated to begin late 2011, where the operations team and union artisans will begin the process of in-house fabrication and assembly. The custom-designed parts that result from this process are numbered, categorized, and shipped for rapid installation during the final phase of construction on-site. The $26.3-million project is part of a major redevelopment of Cleveland’s uptown area by Case Western Reserve University and MRN, Ltd. as well as others to revitalize the area. The project is managed by Donley’s in Cleveland, and is scheduled to break ground in late 2011.

Pueblo Library

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Library Pueblo--Colorado Anderson Mason Dale, Antoine Predock Architect PC Black, Violet L 2003 /by cmorris

Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library

The Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library in Pueblo, Colorado is an Antoine Predock-designed building featuring Zahner fabrication. The library is a new construction project which provides 109,000 SF of facility for residents of the Colorado town.

Built on the site of the original library, the design by Predock rises five stories to allow view of surrounding mountains and the Arkansas Valley. The building incorporates portions of the existing library and spans across Bates Lane to additional property to the South.

Zahner provided the interior and exterior copper metalwork with a preweathered patina. The building’s dark patinated copper tones allow it to absorb into its natural regional landscape.

Related Surface

Pueblo Library

Manufacturing Details for Pueblo Library

The copper wall panels made by Zahner are 30 inches wide by 142 inches tall and number 1545 wall panels and 739 soffit. The building elevations were completely laid out as a digital model for accurate layout of custom panel expansion joints.

A total of 1,545 wall panels and 739 soffit panels were provided by Zahner. The copper panels were custom manufactured from 1.5mm thick copper plates and installed using the Inverted Seam Wall System.

The facade is clad in a darkened custom patinated panel system using the Dirty Penny patina on copper, an artistic patina with significant variation.

El Paso Courthouse

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Government, LEED El Paso--Texas Antoine Predock Architect PC Black, Charcoal, Gold, Violet L 2010 /by cmorris

El Paso United States Federal Courthouse

Designed by Antoine Predock Architects, the award-winning courthouse in El Paso features a Zahner-manufactured copper facade. Officially dedicated in early September of 2010, the construction of the courthouse was made possible by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments by GSA.

The courthouse has been recognized around the United States for both its architectural qualities and its environmentally innovative design.

The building won the Texas Downtown Association’s President’s Award for Best New Construction, which recognizes construction excellence in downtown or commercial districts. Judges were impressed by the use of materials, which paid homage to the copper industry of El Paso and how the design of the building connected with the surrounding downtown.

North elevation of the El Paso Federal Courthouse.

Detail of the Special Proceedings Court at El Paso's Federal Courthouse.

El Paso Courthouse viewed from the northwest.

The building’s mass is largely composed of two materials. Limestone, quarried locally in Texas, and copper, a material which references the local smelter. Zahner provided engineering-design, as well as fabrication and installation of the copper panels.

The building was certified as LEED Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its design makes use of innovative ventilation and air conditioning; computerized heating systems; lighting and utility metering to conserve energy; window glazing; energy-efficient Energy Star products; as well as interior and exterior elements made from recycled materials.

Building the El Paso Federal Courthouse

Zahner was was responsible for the custom cladding of the El Paso Courthouse. This included the engineering, fabrication, and installation of the red copper facade.

As the installers began cladding the building, the material began to blacken in areas as intended. This is caused by the oxidation of the surface, the natural process of patination on copper.

El Paso Federal Courthouse during construction.

The patina begins to form on the surface of the recently completed courthouse.

As the metal oxidizes, the material will go through the stages of copper weathering. After a year, the appearance matches the Dirty Penny patina, and the surface will continue to age, evolve, and change in color.

Clyde Frazier NYC

August 15, 2016/in Interior Architecture Restaurant New York City Morphosis Black, Blue, Blue-grey, Brown, Charcoal, Gold, Green, Grey, Indigo, Light blue, Magenta, Orange, Red, Silver, Violet, White, Yellow M 2012 /by cmorris

Clyde Frazier’s Wine & Dine in New York City

Clyde Frazier’s Wine & Dine is a new construction high-end sports bar and eatery designed by Morphosis. The space features a Zahner-manufactured ceiling, made using generative design and automated fabrication.

Designed by Morphosis for NBA Champion and former New York Knicks Player Walt Clyde Frazier, this New York City restaurant expands a full city block in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. A swarm of suit jackets dominates the central corridor of Clyde Frazier’s Wine and Dine, a 10,000 square foot experience which mixes American and Asian cuisines.

Zahner provided the ceiling architectural feature. This ceiling is made up of custom cut and folded aluminum plates, 544 in total. The aluminum plates are printed from photographs of Mr. Frazier’s suit jackets. These parts are segmented into six unique shapes, where are placed at intervals of increasing distance. This interval placement creates the illusion that every part is unique.

Clyde Frazier's Wine & Dine in New York City.

The colors in the model categorize the panels according to breaks and sizes. Between the differing anchor placements, prints, panel sizes, and panel shapes, all 544 aluminum panels ended up being unique.

Even more complex were the ribs which held them in place. Because the panels were anchored at different angles, every drill hole had to be custom placed. Thus, each of the 69 ribs had 6 segments for a total of 463 segments, each with 3 unique faces.

3D model for Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine.

“The transformative feature in the room, however, is suspended from the ceiling, where a 170-foot-long assemblage of colorful, patterned, flat and folded aluminum fins floats over the dining area, bar, and lounge. Morphosis found the stripes, plaids, and prints for this polychromatic sculptural reef in Frazier’s closets.

The architects photographed their contents and, working with Zahner’s metal fabricators, digitally printed images for a film adhesive applied to 544 aluminum panels of six shapes. The palette varies from blue to brown-gold to charcoal, with red painted undersides enhancing the gestalt. ‘It’s mesmerizing,’ says Frazier.” — Suzanne Stephens, Architectural Record.

Five threaded rods support each rib. The central columns do not hold the weight of the panels.

Aluminum fabricated-metal forms with custom printed and mounted graphics.

Installation process at Clyde Frazier's Wine and Dine

Installation of the printed aluminum fabrications.

Burberry Chicago

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Retail & Commerce Chicago--Illinois Burberry + Callison Barteluce, Solomon Cordwell Buenz Christopher Bailey Black L 2012 /by cmorris

The Burberry Chicago Flagship Store

The Burberry Chicago Flagship Store features a stainless steel facade system design-engineered and manufactured by Zahner. In the early 2000’s Burberry began a global transition to re-establish the Burberry name as an international brand. As part of this transition, a series of Burberry flagship projects were made, designed by Callison+Barteluce and Burberry Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey.

One of the core strategies of Burberry’s transformation has been the re-introduction of its core products through prominent flagship properties. Zahner has been involved as a facade supplier for many concept stores and flagship properties. Designers come to Zahner for the high-quality craft and innovative design-engineered details, which give these stores a sense of quality that moves a brand into museum-quality territory.

Burberry Chicago is no different. Completed in December 2012, the new building features a number of high quality connection details which give the building a unique aesthetic among Chicago architecture.

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“What I love are the contradictions of the city. It’s a very artistic city, yet it’s also a real business city. It’s an imposing city, yet one with a lot of green space and an attention to outdoor sculpture. Chicago feels like a place where there’s an admiration for something that has a long heritage, and that of course appeals to us.”

Christopher BaileyBurberry Chief Creative Officer.

Zahner was brought onto the Burberry Chicago project to develop a black stainless steel facade and lighting system which would meet the highest standards of museum-quality metalwork desired by Burberry. Burberry’s in-house designers developed the vision, led by Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey. In an interview with Michigan Ave, Bailey described how Burberry’s vision meets Chicago aesthetics: “Chicago feels like a place where there’s an admiration for something that has a long heritage, and that of course appeals to us.”

Burberry designers brought in local and national architects to develop details for the project, including Callison Bartluce Architects in New York, and Solomon Cordwell Buenz as the architect of record in Chicago. Heintges Associates served as the building envelope and curtain wall consultant.

The structure features Burberry’s signature check, rotated and fabricated as three-dimensional forms. The check motif has been a part of Burberry’s core identity since the early twentieth century. By simplifying the classic check as a solid graphic and expanding it as into three-dimensional form, the design team was able to successfully unify the brand’s core identity as an architectural icon.

Burberry Chicago flagship store on Michigan Avenue.

Detail of the mirror-black stainless corner connection.

Elevation view of the Burberry Chicago flagship store.

Building the New Chicago Flagship

The facade is a unitized system featuring a black Ti-Stainless Steel (PVD) surface to create the Burberry’s three-dimensional check. PVD stainless steel can be colorized to meet a variety of tones, and is often used for luxury items such as timepieces and luxury architectural fixtures.

The facade for Burberry Chicago is the second in a series of flagship stores to use the dark reflective material. The first was in Shanghai, produced by a local manufacturer in China. Burberry provided to Zahner a small detail from the original facade. The sample was intelligently crafted but it didn’t mesh with the Zahner manufacturing process.

Zahner’s design and engineering team approached the details from a different perspective, employing heavier gauge stainless steel, v-notched corners, and a interlocking system for efficient installation of the metal panel design. The system is also deeply set, providing a strong sculptural feel to the building’s architectural accents.