L | Zahner

Mount Sinai Medical Center Parking Garage

Zahner’s latest collaboration with facade designer Faulders Studio and KVC Constructors has produced the stunning Mount Sinai Medical Center Parking Garage Facade in Miami Beach, Florida. The 6-story, 929-automobile Employee Parking Garage is enveloped by a nearly 27,000 sq ft facade that covers three elevations of the parking structure, conceptualized by Netta Architects.

Positioned near the bustling Julia Tuttle Expressway, the facade’s sweeping contours echo the continuous flow of passing vehicles and the soothing waters of Biscayne Bay. The facade’s design blends broad horizontal lines with dynamic geometric contours, accentuated by a series of projected fins that create shadows throughout the day and provide a sense of movement. This visually arresting pattern complements and enhances the architectural landscape of the Mount Sinai Medical Center campus.

The facade’s design is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, allowing natural ventilation and daylight penetration. The structure maintains a balance between its functional role and its architectural presence, aiming to support and supplement the other medical buildings nearby.

Facade lighting at night on Mount Sinai Medical Center Parking Garage in Miami Beach, Florida

Photography courtesy of Miami In Focus, Inc. – Peter Leifer, Cheryl Stieffel

Mount Sinai Medical Center Parking Garage Facade in Miami Beach, Florida

Photography courtesy of Miami In Focus, Inc. – Peter Leifer, Cheryl Stieffel

Mount Sinai's Parking Garage allows for natural ventilation and daylight penetration

Photography courtesy of Miami In Focus, Inc. – Peter Leifer, Cheryl Stieffel

Detail view of facade mounting hardware on Mount Sinai's Parking Garage

Photography courtesy of Miami In Focus, Inc. – Peter Leifer, Cheryl Stieffel

DTE Dearborn Central Energy Plant

October 19, 2023/in Exterior Architecture Automotive, Industrial Dearborn--Michigan OPN Architects Silver L 2020 /by Winifred Wright

DTE Dearborn Central Energy Plant is a new energy plant on Ford Motor Company’s campus in Dearborn, Michigan. The new facility is part of a modernization of the campus.

OPN approached Zahner as a design assist partner to help “beautify” the new Central Energy Plant by adding a series of twisted fins developed to clad the precast building with large windows. Zahner responded by providing design iterations for the twisted fins, engineering input, and multiple mockups. The fins provide an aesthetic signifying visual movement desired by the design team as well as shading the window areas and providing thermal comfort for occupants.

The DTE Dearborn Central Energy Plant, featuring a fin facade system by Zahner.

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

Detail of the Fin Facade on the DTE Central Energy Plant

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

DTE Central Energy Plant

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

Fin Facade on the DTE Central Energy Plant

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

Angel Hair Stainless Steel complements industrial elements at the DTE Central Energy Plant

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

DTE Central Energy Plant at night

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

DTE Central Energy Plant entrance

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

DTE Central Energy Plant fin facade

Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO

The Mexican Museum

January 26, 2023/in Exterior Architecture Museum San Francisco Bay Handel Architects Jan Hendrix Silver L 2022 /by Jeneane Dunlap

The Mexican Museum is a distinctive space located in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco. The museum’s vision is to reflect the evolving scope of the Mexican, Chicano, Hispanic, Mexican-American, and Latino experience.

Zahner’s scope includes an exquisite and stunning façade, designed by Jan Hendrix, and is comprised of sprawling stainless-steel panels. The use of Zahner’s Angel Hair® and mirror polish stainless steel provides contrasting views from both inside the museum and out.

Topography from the Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico was used by Hendrix’s studio to create the façade imagery. This, coupled with the unique three-dimensional panel innovations, creates a one-of-a-kind viewing experience.

Zahner’s collaboration with the artist, Jan Hendrix; the architect, Handel; the contractor, Webcor; and The Mexican Museum led to a flawless execution through engineering, production, and delivery. Zahner is proud to be a part of this project and the rich history of the museum content.

stunning façade designed by Jan Hendrix For The Mexican Museum.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Jan Hendrix Explains the Design Approach

The facade was constructed in two layers. The designs were inspired by topographical maps provided to the artist by The Mexican Land Survey.

Topographical map used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Topographical map of wind patterns used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Topographical map of water migrations used in the façade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Geographical map used in the facade design process.

Rendering by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Composition of the two facade screens separated.

Renderings by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Combined composition of the STAINLESS STEEL façade by Jan Hendrix.

Renderings by H E N D R I X + S T U D I O.

Closeup of the stainless steel façade.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

View from behind the stainless steel façade.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Constructing the Façade

Constructing the facade with Zahner’s Angel Hair® and mirror polish stainless steel.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

The Mexican Museum in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

The Mexican Museum in the SoMa District of downtown San Francisco.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Constructing the facade for The Mexican Museum.

Photo by Tejas Doshi | ARKO.

Paradise Plaza

December 29, 2021/in Exterior Architecture Retail & Commerce Miami--Florida FreelandBuck, Johnston Marklee, SB Architects Blue, Silver, White L 2018 /by dsegard

Paradise Plaza at the Miami Design District

Paradise Plaza is a one-of-a-kind venue in the Miami Design District, which can be easily transformed for any occasion or event. The space features modern, colorful architecture with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at incredible views of the District and the Museum Garage.

Zahner provided design assist (through our Zahner Assist service), which included collaboration with the ownership team at Dacra and the architects of record at SB Architects, as well as design engineering for the individual design architects, FreelandBuck and Johnston Marklee.

Zahner fabricated and installed the painted aluminum soffits, wall panels, fascia, and column wraps, as well as the stainless steel custom column wraps and pedestrian bridge cladding, which feature Zahner’s Angel Hair® finish and both blue and silver mirror-polished stainless trim.

Painted aluminum soffits, wall panels, and fascia were designed by architects at FreelandBuck Design.