Omaha--Nebraska

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

Originally built in 1995, renovations for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium at the Omaha Zoo were completed in May 2020, featuring a redesigned facade, an updated outdoor cafeteria area, and new entrance features to the aquarium and aquarium conference center. As our third project in the Omaha metro area, Zahner provided various new design elements for this renovation, including the stainless steel wave facade on top of the building, the custom-cut metal coral features and column covers, the dimpled blue stainless steel cladding around the café, and the milled sea creatures that adorn the walls surrounding the space.

Completed Sea Turtle Cafe at the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Completed entrance sign for the aquarium, fabricated utilizing Zahner's ZEPPS system.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium exterior and Sea Turtle Cafe at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo at sunset.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Zahner was brought on early in the concept development stage to provide Design Assist, which allowed us to work closely with the project team to refine the design intent, provide guidance on materials and finishes, and construct a comprehensive mockup for review before the project went into full fabrication. Due to this collaboration, there were zero change orders on the scope, and installation ran smoothly in cooperation with the contractor and the other trades’ schedules.

Original sketch for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade, by Mark Bourne.

Photo courtesy of Henry Doorly Zoo

Visual mockup for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade, assembled in Zahner's Kansas City facility.

Night viewing of the mockup for the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium facade.

The freeform wave facade that sits atop the Sea Turtle Café was fabricated using Zahner’s ZEPPS™ technology, which combined the framing structure and the exterior skin into a complete curvilinear system. The individual wave units were pre-fabricated in our shop and shipped to the job site, where Zahner field technicians installed the full facade.

Zahner field workers install the wave facade on top of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium.

PHOTO © A. ZAHNER COMPANY

Profile of the completed wave facade on top of the Sea Turtle Cafe at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

The face of the waves features a custom etched pattern that provides a reflective, rippling water effect.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

View of the Sea Turtle Cafe outdoor space at sunset with lighting.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Various multi-color lighting systems were incorporated into the design to emphasize the aquatic theme at night.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Decorative painted aluminum coral features adorn the edges of the café’s canopy and wrap the supporting columns. These were cut on our water jet before they were hand-rolled to the correct radius.

Custom-embossed blue stainless steel clads the walls of the Sea Turtle Café and mimics the look of rippling water. Zahner fabricated a custom die to create this seemingly random emboss pattern. This feature is further highlighted by the lighting throughout the space, creating a fully immersive experience for visitors.

Zahner also provided the various metal sea creatures that decorate the walls of the café and the entrance sign. Each sea creature was individually milled out of aluminum on our CNC equipment.

The dual-layered coral feaures were waterjet cut out of aluminum to clad the edge of the canopy.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Custom rippled blue stainless steel clads the ceiling of the outdoor cafe to create an underwater feel to the space.

Photo by Alexandra Hoffman, ARKO | © A. Zahner Company

Custom milled sea turtles and starfish against the rippled blue stainless steel cladding.

Zahner millled out several different sea creatures to decorate the walls of the cafe, including sharks, jellyfish, turtles, stingrays, and starfish.

All elements of Zahner's scope are further emphasized at night time.

Tower at University of Nebraska Medical Center

The Tower at UNMC is a James Carpenter Design Associates project. The project’s design team was led by Richard Kress. The campus art feature stands at 120 feet. A private donation led by Ruth and Bill Scott brought this iconic campus feature to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

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.

Related Surface

Hope Tower at UNMC

Detail of the steel structure and perforated ti-coated stainless steel.

The design features hundreds of triangular perforated 16ga titanium-coated stainless steel panels which attach to an open structure. The perforations effectively create a visually lightweight aesthetic.

The tower was designed to reflect the beautiful effects that occur in the Nebraska sky. It combines stainless steel and natural light to embody UNMC’s scientific character and the transient qualities of Nebraska’s skies. If it’s a bright sunny day, it will appear to shimmer. At dusk, it will reflect the variety of colors that are in the sky.

Installers place the triangular curving panels at UNMC in Nebraska.

Detail of the perforated triangular panels used on Hope Tower at UNMC.

The project was built in the course of a year, and completed in 2010. This is the second project that Zahner has completed for the architects and artists at James Carpenter Design Associates, the first being the Silver Towers Courtyard in New York City. The designers at James Carpenter provide a unique outlook on the play of light on surfaces, an effect which is best perceived in person.