NEW YORK–A range of architectural aluminum products from Alcoa’s (NYSE: AA)
Kawneer business were used in the design and construction of the new Art
Gallery of Alberta, Canada, recently recognized by Metal Architecture
with the Grand Award in its 2011 Metal Architecture Design Awards.
Kawneer curtain wall, entrances, skylight and framing systems are
featured on the 84,000-square-foot building to help create the dramatic
design that is now an “iconic structure.” To allow visitors and
passersby to see activities inside the atrium, a wide expanse of
specialized Kawneer curtain wall was used on both the interior and
exterior of the building.
The Gallery, located in the heart of the Art District in downtown
Edmonton, was commissioned to be a cultural and artistic representation
of the museum’s significance. One of its most prominent features is a
complex, curved stainless steel ribbon that references the forms of the
North Saskatchewan River and Aurora Borealis, or The Northern Lights.
The ribbon, which is juxtaposed with angular windows and curtain wall,
extends throughout the building’s interior atrium and then erupts
outdoors wrapping around the exterior.
While incorporating 37,000 square feet of the museum’s old facility, a
concrete structure from the late 1960s, the new portions of the design
used no straight angles, and provided a challenge for both design and
installation.
“The complexity of the design, with sloped curtain walls and the
intersecting skylights, required a great deal of coordination from every
participant on the project at every phase,” said Wayne Brandt, Western
Canada Regional Sales Manager, Kawneer North America.
Acheson, Alberta-based Flynn Canada served as the project installer.
Charles World, Business Development Manager for Flynn, said: “Working on
such a complex design with no room for error, we knew that Kawneer’s
products and team would help us keep on schedule without sacrificing any
of the end result.”
To address the extreme weather patterns in Edmonton high performance
glazing was used throughout the Art Gallery. Kawneer’s 2000 Skylight was
double glazed for increased thermal performance and its Trifab®
VG (VersaGlaze®) 450 framing system offered the versatility
required for the complex design. In addition, the company’s 350 Standard
Entrances offered improved durability and enhanced aesthetics.
After almost three years of construction, the art gallery opened to the
public in January 2010.
In addition to the recent award from Metal Architecture, the Art Gallery
of Alberta has received numerous awards and recognition, including the
Metal Construction Association 2010 President’s Award for Overall
Excellence, Alberta Construction Magazine “Institution” Category, the
Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) Alberta 2011
Architectural Award and more.
The concept for the $86 million dollar project was the result of an
international competition to find the final design. Randall Stout, FAIA,
of Randall Stout Architects, Inc. of Los Angeles, California,
contributed the winning geometric design and was selected to complete
the drawings, along with local HIP Architects of Edmonton.
To learn more about Kawneer and its range of products, please visit www.kawneer.com.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary and fabricated
aluminum, as well as the world’s largest miner of bauxite and refiner of
alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry,
Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace,
automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for nine consecutive years and approximately
75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.