Kansas City | Zahner

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).

Kansas City Star

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Industrial, LEED Kansas City Austin Group Green L 2006 /by cmorris

Kansas City Star Production Facility

The production facility for the Kansas City Star includes a locally manufactured, custom-patinated copper, created by Zahner for the building’s facade. The new production facility for the Kansas City Star was designed and developed by The Austin Company, an engineering design firm specializing in large-scale industrial facilities.

Zahner developed a preweathered copper patination system for this building. An estimated 4155 pre-patina copper panels were installed on the building’s surface to create the 80,000 SF surface area. The building’s green surface is mottled and variegated, a patina designed to age the building’s copper surface by 200 years. The natural patina will continue to grow and change in appearance as it ages. The patina provides a layer of natural protection for the copper alloy.

Related Surface

Custom Patinated Copper

Zahner has developed proprietary techniques to preweather copper and copper-alloyed sheets with deep, rich patinas not unlike those that formerly took several decades to develop naturally. Some of these techniques can develop the rich green and blue tones of cupric nitrate on the copper surface. Other techniques will develop browns, yellows, and oranges in various hues.

The Kansas City Star Production Facility.

Hands of Man

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City L. William Zahner Blue, Green S 2006 /by cmorris

Hands of Man, Public Artwork

Hands of Man is an artwork by L. William Zahner, made as a gift to The Salvation Army in Kansas City. The artwork was produced by tracing the hands of Salvation Army employees. These hands drawings were scanned and cut in copper, using Zahner’s art fabrication facility.

After using machinery to cut-out the several hundred copper hands, these parts were hammered into the individual shapes to give them form and texture. The hands were then welded and sculpted to form a large-scale sculpture of a hand.

Zahner then used patination techniques to give the surface a mottled Star Blue patina on the surface of the metal before having the sculpture delivered to the Salvation Army Headquarters, based only a few blocks from the Zahner Campus.

The Hands of Man sculpture is a good example of how an artist can use Zahner public art fabrication service to build sculpture. Art services provided by Zahner will help assist artists to engineer, fabricate, deliver, and install public art.

H&R Block Installation

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Sculpture Kansas City Dierk Van Keppel Blue M, S 2006 /by cmorris

‘Blue Sun’ Hanging Mobile for H&R Block Headquarters

In 2006, H&R Block commissioned artist Dierk van Keppel to produce a custom glasswork in the new headquarters for their downtown office in Kansas City. Blue Sun is a blown and fused glass mobile, hung in an aluminum armature.

Zahner worked in both an art fabricator capacity, as well as a collaborator to Dierk Van Keppel. Keppel used glass blowing and fusing to create a number of fused glass pieces in flat form.

Zahner cut the glass and produced the frames and stainless steel armatures for the artwork. Zahner also provided engineering-design to create the sculpture’s balance and leveling mechanisms that keep the mobile stable.

Detail of the metal ceiling system made for the Starlight Theatre Donor's Circle

Related Project

Starlight Donor’s Circle

Zahner engineers and artisans worked with Gastinger Walker Harden, with Bob Rohlf and the Starlight Theatre Association of Kansas City to engineer, fabricate, and install the artwork. The surface features glass cast by local Kansas City artist Dierk Van Keppel.

Dierk Van Keppel installation at the H&R Block in Kansas City.

Dierk studied art glass at the University of Kansas from 1983 to 1987, assisting with lectures and demonstrations for artists including Dale Chihuly, Stephen D. Edwards, Ken Carder, Fritz Driesbach, and Wes Hunting.

In 1984, Dierk studied under Richard Marquis and Thermon Statom at Pilchuck Glass Studio in Stanwood, WA, joining the staff at Pilchuck in 1985. In 1986, Dierk founded his first private glass studio, Free State Glass, in Lawrence, KS. In 1991, the artist moved closer to his hometown near Kansas City, and established Rock Cottage Glassworks in Merriam, Kansas.

Dierk Van Keppel sculptural installation at the H&R Block Space in Kansas City.

Dome on the Plaza

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Historic Kansas City Gastinger Walker Harden Brown, Orange, Red, Yellow M 2008 /by cmorris

The Dome on the Country Club Plaza

Working with Gastinger Walker Harden Architects and Highwood Properties, Zahner produced the subtly spiraling domed roof for Baja 600 Restaurant on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Zahner designed, engineered, fabricated, and installed the Dome using zinc with custom patina.

The Dome on The Plaza uses Roano Zinc, a preweathered zinc with custom patina. The Roano Zinc surface is an aged patina whose variegated tones vary from panel to panel, creating an aged aesthetic suitable for both contemporary and historic architecture.

Domed roofs are complex feats of engineering, and this one is no different. Constructing the dome’s cladding required sophisticated planning and layout. Each row of panels is characterized by a unique panel shape, requiring over twenty panel types. Zahner engineers mapped the thirty foot diameter dome so that the complex surface would be easily installed.

Roano Zinc patina featured as part of the Dome on the Plaza.

Photograph of the Dome on the Plaza after decade of aging.

Roano Zinc-clad Dome on the Country Club Plaza during installation.

Crosstown Substation

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Industrial Kansas City Pendulum James Woodfill Brown M 2013 /by cmorris

Crosstown Substation Renovation for the KCP&L

The architects at Pendulum developed a synthesizing design which combines elements of public art, architecture, and kinetic motion-based visual arts to create a low-profile barrier wall wrapping the KCP&L Substation.

Prior to the new design, the corner of 18th and Locust was deteriorating. KCP&L replaced the wall with a new design, including commissioned artwork, that would reflect the Crossroads’ artistic community spirit.
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The winning design by Pendulum included a space for the light artist James Woodfill to create a kinetic display. As the sun sets, an animated display of lights takes over: 10,500 color-changing LED lights alternate to create an illusion of motion, powered by 117 solar panels.

Photograph of the Crosstown Substation west facade at dusk.

Crosstown Substation designed by Pendulum, featuring Solanum weathering steel metalwork.

Custom cylinder sidewalk lights cast unique shadows through perforations.

The Crosstown Substation, featuring a prepatinated weathering steel custom wall system.

Detail of the Crosstown Substation during daylight.

Manufacturing the Weathering Steel Facade for Pendulum Architects

Zahner was brought on to provide a weathering steel surface that would endure all four seasons in Kansas City, as well as provide a worn steel aeshtetic with minimal corrosion and staining of adjacent surfaces. Using the Solanum Steel process, Zahner was able to provide a warm steel patina. Zahner also worked closely with the project team to provide all structural steel and fabrication required for the project.

Rendering of Crosstown Substation, designed by Pendulum Architects in Kansas City.

Mockup of Crosstown Substation, installed on-site at the previous park.

History of the Crosstown Substation

Originally the KCP&L station was the site of the Holmes Square Park. Designed by George Kessler, the park was originally opened in 1897, the same year A. Zahner Company was founded by Andrew Zahner. The park was directed by Elenore Canny, who was sworn in by the Kansas City Police Department in 1910, becoming the first woman to serve and protect as a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri, and also one of the first female police officers in America.

KCP&L has decided to place a plaque on the gate of the substation commemorating the Holmes Square Park and the accomplishments of Elenor Canny. The material and construction of the plaque was generously donated by A. Zahner Company.

Project Team

Architect/Designer: Pendulum
General Contractor: Turner Construction, Inc.
Lighting Consultant: Derek Porter Studio
Structural Engineer: Du Bois Consultants
Commissioned Artist: James Woodfill
Steel Contractor/Fabricator/Supplier: Zahner

Awards and Recognition

2014 EDC Cornerstone Award Winner for Energy
2014 Kansas City Chapter AGC Building Excellence Award

Cerner Headquarters

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Flagship, Workplace Kansas City Gould Evans Associates Silver M, S 2005 /by cmorris

Signage for Cerner Headquarters Vision Center Forum Portals

The Cerner Corporation World Headquarters is designed by Gould Evans and features Zahner-manfufactured signage systems. Zahner produced this uniquely perforated stainless steel sculpture and sign for the Cerner Corporation in North Kansas City.

Two sculptural navigational displays were built: a small corner entrance sign adjacent to the building’s main entrance, and a large signage system visible from the nearby highway. This larger sign features an illuminated Cerner logo mounted on the perforated stainless steel screen wall.

Each of the displays were fabricated by Zahner using ZIRA, a patented technology developed by Zahner creating perforated imagery. The architects and client designed a non-repeating pattern of 1’s and 0’s, binary code in a non-repeating pattern. Zahner developed a process to rapidly punch the numbers using multiple dies.

Detail of the perforated metal signage system at Cerner Headquarters.

Cerner signage wall at the Cerner World Headquarters.

Detail of the perforated metal system used for Cerner Headquarters.

Detail of the Cerner World Headquarters signage wall.

The larger of the two displays, visible from the end of 210 Highway in North Kansas City, was produced with lighting systems embedded in the aluminum and stainless steel framework. Pictured above and below are photos of the signage at night, and during the day. As cars drive by, it appears to flash and animate due to the lights parallactic relationship with the perforations.

The complete system for the 61′ long sign structure comprises 72 panels supported vertically by stainless steel structural fins of varying depth and shape. Each panel is constructed from 18-gauge stainless steel, with a perforation pattern generated from a random sequence of binary code.

The display closest to the building features a DNA strand within the sign, visible as an orange tube. The structure was built with 1/4″ aluminum fins, attached to square tubes which create the sign’s profile. The face of the fins were installed with 14 gauge Angel Hair Stainless steel panels.

Additional metal signage at Cerner Headquarters.

Fabricating the Cerner Signs

The sculptural sign was custom perforated from stainless steel plates using binary code to create the pattern. The surface is an array of 1’s and 0’s randomly placed across the plates of stainless steel.

Below are photos from the Zahner shop in Kansas City, where the material for each display was formed. Each panel was perforated using dies custom-made for the project. Together with the automated punches allowed the fabricators on the shop floor to quickly assemble components after being produced on the computer-controlled punch.

Backlit perforated metal system at Cerner Headquarters.

Cerner signage during fabrication at Zahner .

Bartle Sky Stations

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Monument, Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City R.M. Fisher L, XL 1994 /by cmorris

Bartle Hall Sky Stations

Located in downtown Kansas City, artist R.M. Fischer worked with Zahner to produce the stainless steel and aluminum sculptures which rest upon massive pylons at the intersection of three major highways. After completion in 1994, these four sculptures quickly became icons synonymous with Kansas City’s downtown cityscape.

These sculptures are inspired by 1930s Art Deco style, which can be seen throughout the Municipal Auditorium’s chandeliers and decorative designs at Bartle Hall. The tube frames which form the bases are 18’x40′ in size. The concrete pylons that the sculptures sit atop are 300′ tall. Zahner employed fusion welding, a technique with nuclear plant specifications using aluminum and stainless steel with a #4 Satin finish.

Installation was accomplished by lowering the sculptures from a helicopter, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane specifically engineered for heavy lifting.

Zahner played a pivotal role in the entire production of the piece, assisting the artist with budgeting, scheduling, and fabricating,and delivering. This completion of this total solution monumental artwork set the stage for Zahner’s art fabrication initiative; providing a process to produce artworks of various scales and of metal materials on an artist’s budget.

Zahner installers secure each of the Bartle Hall Sky Stations.

Panoramic of the Bartle Hall Sky Stations in the Kansas City Skyline.

Interior Artworks

In addition to massive artworks on top of the Bartle Hall, Zahner also completed many of the 48 interior hanging works in the facility for the artist R. M. Fischer. Among the many artworks are a giant clock, and many light fixtures which illuminate the lobbies, pedestrian passageways, and conference center. Not only has Fischer’s art become one of the most talked-about public commissions, but also one of the most recognizable.