Grey | Zahner

Diesel Chicago

Diesel Concept Store on Rush Street

Façade panels for the Diesel Store in Chicago were designed by BAMDesign with Michilli Construction. The designer developed a panel layout with exposed fasteners and engaged Zahner to assist in developing a distressed surface for the store front.

The result was a unique, blackened steel patina created by the Zahner team. Hand-applied to 80 panels of 12ga galvanized steel, the custom patina architecturally conveys the look of Diesel’s distressed jeans. The custom patina was also applied in smaller scope within the project interior.

Initially dark and mottled in appearance, the exterior metalwork has naturally oxidized over time, taking on a gray tone in reaction to the urban environment.

Custom patinated galvanized steel panels with visible fasteners on the exterior of the Diesel Chicago store.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Detail view of the blackened steel panels on the Diesel Chicago store's facade.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The custom patina developed for the project featured black & brown hues on galvanized steel.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Natural oxidation results in the panels developing a gray tone.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Detail view of the custom patina.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The custom blackened steel patination and natural oxidation reflect the distressed look of Diesel jeans.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Detail view of the blackened steel panels, showing the effects of natural oxidation and the resulting "distressed" appearance.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The Ames Library

December 30, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Education Bloomington--Illinois Shepley Bulfinch Richardson Grey L 2002 /by cmorris

at Illinois Wesleyan University

Zahner worked with the architects at Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, to manufacture a new roof for the Ames Library at Wesleyan University. The double-locking standing seam panel system was fabricated using lead-coated copper for its historic construction. The $25.7 million facility opened in January 2002 and remains a symbol of Illinois Wesleyan’s achievements and aspirations.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the faculty of Illinois Wesleyan regards the building of a new library as the final, and finest, achievement of our evolution into a distinctive national liberal arts college.” – Robert Bray, the R. Forrest Colwell Professor of English

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.

Pomona Planters

December 26, 2016/in Landscape Architecture Retail & Commerce, Urban Design Kansas City Young + Dring Grey, White S 2010 /by cmorris

Tree Surrounds and Planter Systems for Power & Light District

Working with Young + Dring, Zahner provided custom metalwork for planters in the Power & Light District of Kansas City. As the largest single implementation of streetscape in the downtown area, the installation of 180 Ginkgo trees resulted in a verdant urban forest.

Focused on tree health and long-term growth, custom planters and metal tree-surrounds were functionally and aesthetically designed by Young+Dring, which were then fabricated and installed by Zahner. Each of the aluminum plate planters was water jet cut to manufacture the patterned metal.

The award-winning Power & Light District is part of the current downtown Kansas City renaissance. In an ongoing effort since 2005, Young + Dring have participated in the revitalization of seven city blocks. The result is a more verdant, more walkable space in downtown Kansas City.

Related System

Pomona Planters

Detail of the Young+Dring planter boxes for the Power & Light District

Detail of the Young+Dring tree surrounds for the Power & Light District

Fabrication in the Zahner shop for the Young+Dring planters

Gehry Horse Head

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Interior Architecture Education, Sculpture, Workplace Northeastern United States, Princeton--New Jersey Frank Gehry Partners Blue-grey, Grey M, S 1997 /by cmorris

Frank Gehry Horse Head Conference Room at Princeton University

Zahner worked for long-time partner Frank Gehry to construct the original “horse head” sculpture and conference room, which now is on display at Princeton University.

Sheets of lead were hammer-formed over a plywood structure which encases a semi-private meeting space for students at Princeton University, pictured below. This was the first use of the horse motif by Frank Gehry. He would later produce a nearly identical form for the DG Bank building in Berlin nearly twice the size.

World-Architects’ John Hill profiled the sculpture at Princeton University in 2015, and discussed some of the history of the project.

“Yet Gehry did not design the sculptural “horse’s head” piece for Princeton, or as a conference room. It was to be a small part of a huge 22,000-square-foot (2,044-sm) residence for Peter B. Lewis in Lyndhurst, Ohio, but after ten years of numerous iterations the project was cancelled. Luckily a mockup, framed in wood and covered in lead, found a second life in the Icahn Lab, providing a suitable contrast to Rafael Viñoly’s curved glass wall and two-story atrium.”

— John Hill, World Architects

Related Project

Weatherhead School

The 22 ga stainless steel surface resembles an undulating, unbroken ribbon. Finished in #4 satin, the surface is more reflective than Angel Hair or GB-60 but less diffuse than a mirror-finish.

Frank Gehry Horse sculpture at Gagosian Gallery.

Installation of the horse head sculpture at Gagosian.

Frank Gehry with model for Parc des Ateliers.

Second version of the sculpture made for the DZ Bank building in Berlin

CVS Las Vegas

December 9, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Flagship, Retail & Commerce, Storefront Las Vegas--Nevada Jacobs Grey, Silver L 2016 /by cmorris

CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino

CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino in Las Vegas is a unique flagship store designed by Jacobs featuring a custom structural facade system by Zahner.

In a city known for its flamboyant neon and kitsch architectural statements, this Las Vegas Boulevard stands on its own, while making a marked departure from the local architecture.

The design for this project may have some of the most uniquely powerful branding and signage that the city has yet to see (and this is Las Vegas). The CVS Pharmacy at Bally’s Casino has a signage system whose reflective letters provide an eye-catching animated effect for cars and passersby. This innovative signage system is the result of weeks of design charettes, and several months of engineering and fabrication.

CVS Pharmacy at Bally's, Las Vegas

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

What makes the signage system intriguing is its clever illusion, a result of the design’s collaborative process. Jacobs, the architects behind the project, brought Zahner in as a design assist contract to develop a branded sign system. Using a combination of LED backlighting, selective polishing, and algorithmic perforations, the team developed a unique concept and produced a mockup.

The mockup was produced in Kansas City, and was shown and inspected by the project team. The team used the mockup to identify any issues with the fabrication, and then began manufacturing the piece for delivery in Las Vegas.

Mockup for the CVS Pharmacy in Las Vegas.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The mockup provided valuable feedback into the structural design, giving the Zahner engineering team insights into moving forward on the actual construction. The full-size mockup also provides the designers and clients with an accurate vision of the letter’s clarity.

After this phase one design and mockup process, the project moved into fabrication and installation. Zahner provided both the architectural exposed structural steel (AESS) as well as the stainless steel panel system.

In all there were 182 assemblies and 9000 SF of 304 stainless steel produced for the project. The skin of this uses a 14ga material. The parts were manufactured as part of a custom fabricated rain screen panel with factory applied ZIRA / ImageWall pattern.

All of the exterior visible surfaces have a Glass Bead matte finish with the exception of the brand’s logos, which are polished to a mirror finish. The project’s 182 assemblies are each slightly curved, and supported by an aluminum support strut located outside of the weather wall.

Detail of the stainless steel panels for CVS pharmacy, Las Vegas

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

DETAIL OF THE STAINLESS STEEL PANELS FOR CVS PHARMACY, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

CVS PHARMACY AT BALLY’S CASINO, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

CVS PHARMACY AT BALLY’S CASINO, LAS VEGAS

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

Jakarta Australian Embassy

December 7, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Government, Passive Security International, Jakarta--Indonesia Denton Corker Marshall Blue, Gold, Green, Grey, Red XL 2016 /by cmorris

Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia

The Australian Embassy in Jakarta features a number of buildings manufactured in a variety of metal surfaces. The Embassy features an expansive palette of custom Zahner finishes and patinas on high-performance metal alloys.

The design by Denton Corker Marshall was the winning entry in limited design competition. The materials reflect not only characteristic colors of the Australian landscape but also convey something of the natural resources and mineral wealth. Each building at the Embassy is clad in a distinct metal, representing Australia’s wealth in these materials: copper, zinc, brass, steel and aluminum.

The Australian Embassy complex houses the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 13 other government departments and agencies. Denton Corker Marshall’s design includes a massive complex, covering over 530,000 square feet of space.

Creating an Embassy with Enduring Metals

The building complex includes both housing as well as a chancery for the building’s staff. The Embassy chancery was clad in a full range of trademark metal materials made by Zahner. Each of these high-end surfaces are detailed to provide high-performance and endure city pollutants over time.

The building complex was split into a number of modules, each designed with a unique metal surface. Zahner custom-fabricated and delivered the facade systems for each of the towers, which are clad top-to-bottom in their respective metal surfaces.

The metal panels, manufactured by Zahner, include stainless steel, patinated copper and zinc, color anodized aluminum, and preweathered steel. In total, Zahner manufactured 70,000 panels and trims. These were engineered, fabricated, and shipped 13,000 miles — on time and within the budget of the project.

Signature Surfaces for the Chancery

The patinated materials and custom finishes developed for the buildings include a range of Zahner-developed products. Surface materials used include Star Blue Copper, a prepatinated copper material; Solanum Steel, a preweathered deep earthen-colored metal; and Hunter Zinc, a limestone-toned metal patina on zinc. The building also included anodized aluminum, made in both clear and gold.

In the Embassy’s official press release for the unveiling, the metals chosen provide insight into Australia’s mineral economy:

“The distinctive colours chosen for the Chancery are designed to represent Australia’s wealth in minerals such as copper, zinc, brass, steel and aluminium.”

The panels also feature a series of circular ‘bumps’, which offer added texture and dimensionality. The delineation of the embossed and debossed metal was done under close collaboration between the architects at Denton Corker Marshall and Zahner. Total Bangun Persada and Leighton served as the General Contractors for the project, with Aurecon Australia serving as the primary engineer. Zahner worked closely with Leighton Asia, whose team ensured good communication and success for the building complex construction.

Zahner has two production plants (one in Grand Prairie, Texas and another in Kansas City, Missouri), so the company was able to work in tandem between sheet production, engineering and shop-forming. This provided the massive output needed to cover the 330,000 square-feet of metal panels under the project’s aggressive 12-month schedule.

In an interview by ABC, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson lauded the building’s architectural design, and celebrated its ecological imperative:

“The Embassy showcases the best in Australian innovative design and cutting edge technology to make the most out of the Indonesia’s environment while minimising the impact on local water and energy sources,”

Construction of the new embassy, which commenced in 2012, cost $415 million. This is the biggest project that the Australian government has spent on a building complex outside the shores of Australia.

Features of the Building Complex

The new complex is at Patra Kuningan in the southern area of Jakarta. The Embassy includes a five-storey Chancery, accommodation for some Embassy staff, and recreation and medical centers. The grounds cover over 530,000 SF of space.

According to the official press release, the compound can withstand a one in 2,500-year earthquake and can move 600 millimetres in any direction. The Embassy complex uses low resource technologies such as collecting and using rainwater as well as solar hot water heating systems.

One of the most exciting aspects of the new complex, is how the ground’s massive banyan trees have put the Australian embassy into the Indonesian Guinness Book of Records. Four mature trees were relocated near the building’s entrance, the biggest tree relocation of its kind ever taken.

For this, the building received a Museum Rekor Indonesia (MURI) award. This award is in recognition of how the new Embassy celebrates the Indonesian national pride. Part of the Indonesian coat of arms, the Banyan tree is a symbol which represents for the Indonesian-Australian partnership, denoting how a single nation can have far-flung roots.

Among its green features are a living rooftop, rainwater harvesting, energy efficient air-conditioning and a number of solar hot water systems.

“The Embassy showcases the best in Australian innovative design and cutting edge technology to make the most out of the Indonesia’s environment while minimising the impact on local water and energy sources,” said Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson.

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.

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

Winspear Opera House

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Performance Center Dallas--Texas Foster & Partners, Kendall Heaton Associates Grey, Red, Silver L 2009 /by cmorris

Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

The Winspear Opera House is one of five venues comprising the new Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. Zahner worked on several of them. Zahner was also responsible for the Wyly Theatre, directly across the street from the Winspear Opera House.

Zahner produced the canopy which covers the Winspear as well as the Strauss Square and Sammons Park. These two venues offer outdoor performances and projected shows.

Designing the Canopy

Zahner worked closely with the architect to develop a high-quality engineered surface that is easily installed and provides long-term performance. The Winspear Opera House canopy was designed as a solar shade by the architects at Foster.

Photograph of the Winspear Opera House at night in Dallas, Texas

The angles of the massive fins were determined by following the path of the sun. The design intent was to eliminate most of the direct sunlight on the Winspear Opera House and surrounding park, while increasing the ambient light underneath the canopy. Foster’s design creates a cooler microclimate around the building, and the canopy significantly reduces the energy requirements of the Winspear Opera House.

Winspear Opera House and Strauss Square outdoor performance space.

The Arts in all their many exciting forms are a bridge between people – Annette Strauss.

Detail of the Winspear Opera House aluminum canopy

Detail of the Winspear Opera House Canopy

The high-craft aluminum canopy has aircraft-grade connections and is engineered and fabricated with the highest design standards. The photographs show above show the artful design layout of the fins integrating into the canopy framework.

Interior Metalwork

In addition to producing the canopy which shades the entire campus of the Winspear, Zahner also engineered and fabricated the entrance desks in the theater’s lobby and atrium. These desks are produced using half-inch thick anodized aluminum.

Zahner fabricated three desks for the interior atrium, which serve as ticketing booths and winebars. Each of the desks feature high-quality connections that are completely hidden from plane view. The design is a slight curve which matches the general curvature of the interior layout.