With the sounds, tastes and smells of Thanksgiving still fresh in our minds, let’s travel to Thanksgiving Station, a relatively new residential and commercial mixed-use community located within Thanksgiving Point, located in Lehi, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. Appropriately named to express gratitude after receiving the land as a gift from her husband, wife of tech giant WordPerfect co-founder first established Thanksgiving Point in 1995 as a nonprofit indoor and outdoor farm, garden and museum complex. Much growth and expansion has occurred over the past 20 years including the Thanksgiving Station Office Park, a 1,000,000-square-foot mixed-use development that has offices, restaurants, fitness centers, a park and access to public transportation.
When architecture firm Beecher Walker sought to create the 150,000 square-foot building Thanksgiving Station 3, the fourth of five buildings, to embody the innovation associated with prospective tech company tenants, they turned to a design that integrated boxy forms clad with metal composite material (MCM) and glazing.
Photo Courtesy of CetraRuddy Architecture, Esto/David Sundberg, Rockefeller Group
Last month at METALCON in Indianapolis, the Metal Construction Association announced the winners of their MCA 2022 Design Awards, a new awards program serves to recognize MCA member companies for their contributions to making an architect’s designs come alive with metal in construction. Taking first place in the Insulated Metal Panels category, MCA Members Kingspan and 3A Composites were recognized for their work on Rose Hill, a 45-story residential building located in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan (area that lies North and West of Madison Square Park in NYC). What makes this building truly unique is the elegant and intricate filigree with post-era detailing, accomplished only by the use of metal.
With the recent passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch, we take a look at the impact of her reign over the architectural style of buildings in London over the past 70 years. ArchDaily’s “The Architectural Legacy of Queen Elizabeth’s 70 Year Reign,” reflects upon her legacy in terms of culture, technology, and architecture.
When she first came to the throne in 1952, according to The Guardian, the tallest building in Britain was St Paul’s Cathedral. Today, London’s skyline is marked by glass and steel office towers, many measuring over 500 feet in height, marking an end to low-rise buildings being one of the city’s trademarks.
According to the article, “Through the decades, Modernism marked the postwar period in England, with its variation, Brutalism, being the prevailing architectural style for new housing estates in Britain throughout the 1970s. The 1980s brought a slow down of Britain’s investment in public and social buildings, thus the influence of the state upon the architectural agenda also diminished … the statement architecture of private capital came to influence the image of UK’s development. Glass and steel towers now define the appearance not only in London, but in many of the UK’s major cities. New monuments like Norman Foster’s The Gherkin or Renzo Piano’s The Shard have little to no connection to England’s architectural traditions but instead aim to create a globally recognizable image and stimulate local economic growth. There is no linear stylistic development, but representative buildings have taken cues from the High-Tech movement in the 1990s, as exemplified by Lloyd’s building in London, Post-Modernism, in the case of Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery, designed by Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, or Deconstructivism, as in Daniel Libeskind’s Imperial War Museum North.”
London skyline overlooking the Thames from The Globe Theatre; Photo Credit: Nancy Reilly
While overseeing the architectural landscape of the city was not the monarch’s primary obligation, it will be hard for architectural communities and historians to overlook Queen Elizabeth II’s impact and legacy over the past 70 years. The article states, “Whereas the Queen’s forbears sealed their legacies by commissioning cities, palaces, and cathedrals, the Queen has been discreet in expressing interest in directly influencing the built environment. It might be a little early to assess it. Still, maybe in the future, with the added benefit of hindsight, we might appreciate Elizabeth II’s era as one of progress, innovation, and constantly improving quotidian comforts.”
For a deeper dive into the relationship of architecture and metal and its impact on cities and communities, we invite you to join us next month for The Architect’s Experience at METALCON, a “show-within-a-show” produced in partnership with AECDaily, offering design professionals an intimate look at how metal can help you solve your toughest architectural, structural, environmental, and building performance challenges. METALCON ’22 takes place October 12-14 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The program features founding principal of Building Science Corporation, Dr. Joe Lstiburek, who will delve into the world of energy flow with his keynote address, “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Thermodynamic Lunch – How Changing Energy Flow Changes Everything.” In addition, get a special architects-only guided tour of the show floor, exclusive networking opportunities with key manufacturers of metal products, and the opportunity to earn up to 19 AIA LU’s including 12 HSWs with 25+ expert-led education sessions curated for design professionals.
Metal made the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health located in Las Vegas one of the most remarkable metal construction projects in recent history, draped and wrapped with a “mountainous metal-clad skin, faced in shingled panels and punctured with a grid of windows,” states Architect Magazine. The amazing building was designed by none other than Frank Gehry, who has truly “reinvented the art of metal cladding.” Now 92, Gehry has work spanning decades, perhaps most known for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain.
Constructed in steel and glass, the “Enigma,” is the focal point of The Dalí’s new state-of-the-art building designed by world-renowned architect Yann Weymouth. St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to The Dalí Museum and sits directly across the bay from the Tampa Convention Center, home of METALCON 2021. The Museum is recognized internationally by the Michelin Guide with a three-star rating, deemed “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime” by AOL Travel News, and named one of the ten most interesting museums in the world by Architectural Digest.
Do you have a new product you want customers to know about?Want bragging rights? Nominate TODAY for the METALCON Top Product Award!
Don’t miss the chance for bragging rights in the hottest new recognition program in the metal construction industry! To be eligible for consideration, a product must have been introduced to the market after January 1, 2019, and its manufacturer must be a 2021 METALCON exhibiting company. Exhibitors are eligible to nominate more than one top metal product but not more than one product per category. Winners will receive special recognition at METALCON 2021 in October as well as appear on the website.
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport – Terminal 2; Photo Credit: WorldArchitecture
With so many people returning to travel, airports are back in the news. ArchDaily published a recent article highlighting “10 Awe-Inspiring Airports Across the World.” The author, Eric Baldwin, states, “Often serving as a city’s first impression, airports combine landscapes, ecologies, air rights, and infrastructure to connect people and place. As new technologies and advancements transform aviation, so too has airport architecture evolved to meet modern travel demands.”
Do you have a new product you want customers to know about?
Don’t miss the chance for bragging rights in the hottest new recognition program in the metal construction industry! To be eligible for consideration, a product must have been introduced to the market after January 1, 2019, and its manufacturer must be a 2021 METALCON exhibiting company. Exhibitors are eligible to nominate more than one top metal product but not more than one product per category. Winners will receive special recognition at METALCON 2021 in October as well as appearing on the website.
Don’t miss the chance for bragging rights in the hottest new recognition program in the metal construction industry! To be eligible for consideration, a product must have been introduced to the market after January 1, 2019, and its manufacturer must be a 2021 METALCON exhibiting company. Exhibitors are eligible to nominate more than one top metal product but not more than one product per category.
After not being used for months on end and also serving as an overflow hospital for COVID-19 patients, the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) took center stage last night as the primary venue for the high profile Grammys event. Although there was no audience present, there was a red carpet, awards and live performances.
Compared to other convention destinations, Los Angeles has lagged behind, especially to its neighbor Anaheim. According to CityWatchLA, “To attract a greater share of the lucrative convention business, the Tourism and Convention Board has been modernizing the Convention Center and promoting hotel development with the goal of adding 4,000 new hotel rooms within walking distance of it by 2020.”
On behalf of the METALCON team, we excitedly congratulate the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS on their Super Bowl victory! METALCON and the beautiful city of Tampa have long enjoyed a relationship over the history of the show and we can’t wait to return THIS year. Let’s help Tampa continue to make history by coming together in October with record attendance for METALCON 2021 scheduled for October 6-8! REGISTER TODAY.
In the spirit of the Super Bowl, 2020 welcomed two new stadiums to the National Football League that continue to raise the bar in the construction and technology world. Allegiant Stadium, the new home for the Las Vegas Raiders, opened in a prime location on The Strip in Las Vegas and SoFi Stadium opened in Los Angeles as the new home for the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
METALCONLive! and Metal Architecture will kick off its unique series of webinars THIS Wednesday, January 13 at 1:00 pm EST with “Civitas and the Role of Metal in Meeting a Zero Carbon World.” So what is a zero carbon world and why is it important? Zero carbon means that no carbon emissions are being produced from a product/service e.g. zero-carbon electricity could be provided by a 100% renewable energy supplier. Put simply, “net zero” means we are not adding new emissions to the atmosphere. Emissions will continue, but will be balanced by absorbing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere.
Despite the pandemic, construction carried on and the “top lists” of this year’s architectural marvels are rolling in. ConstructConnect‘s criteria for inclusion on their list boiled down to the following items: The building had to have been substantially completed, topped out, or opened within the calendar year and had to have some aspect that makes the building “cool.” What does this mean? In their terms, it can range from the architecture, sustainability elements, unique construction methods, technology, building materials used, cultural impact, or some combination of these elements. This year, “cool” appears equivalent to “sustainability” along with an “eye on the future.”
Glass sculpture artist Jason Mack, along with four assistants, has found a way to spread holiday cheer and build community spirit despite the challenges 2020 has brought to so many. They are building a tree made entirely from steel and recycled glass on a lot in Champaign, Illinois. The tree will measure 31 feet in height with a circumference of 52 feet at the base and weigh in at approximately two tons, which will beat the current world record held by a 27.5-foot glass tree in Italy. The tree is comprised of glass donated by the community, then melted down at 2,300 degrees in a mobile smelt then poured onto a spinning metal frame to form the tree’s branches and needles.
BD+C Platinum Winner Emory University Student Center
As the year begins to wind down, awards and recognitions begin to roll in. Building Design + Construction just announced the winners of their 22nd annual Building Team Awards program, which celebrates excellence in team collaboration and design/construction solutions. Among the 12 winners are one platinum award, five gold awards, three silver awards, two bronze awards, and one honorable mention. While it was not a judged element, it is interesting to see the use of metal in the design and construction of each project.
This year’s sole Platinum honoree goes to LEED Platinum Emory University Student Center, where students were uniquely and intimately involved in the design. Echoing the comments of many of the judges, Anthony Grumbine, AIA, Principal, Harrison Design (and a BD+C “40 Under 40” honoree) saluted Emory and the project team for their “excellent involvement of students,” the high level of sustainable design, and the delicate preservation of Alumni Memorial Union Center.
Fast Food Chain Responding to Changing Needs Due to Pandemic
As businesses continue to pivot and adjust to the changing times, fast food chains are responding as well. As reported by Building Design + Construction, Restaurant Brands International (RBI) will begin to roll out new designs for its Burger King chain that are only two fifths the physical footprint of its traditional fast-food restaurant to provide customers with different ways food can be ordered and delivered with an emphasis on mobile ordering and drive-thru.
As industry events continue to change, cancel or postpone, our friends with Metal Construction News are keeping everyone up-to-date. You can find a running list of events on their WEBSITE. While some have postponed to next year (METALCON included) or canceled, many events are now offering a VIRTUAL platform. While they don’t replace face-to-face, these virtual meetings can still provide an excellent way to connect with industry leaders and peers and continue to learn how to better position your business. Here is the list for the upcoming events happening this fall, between now and the end of November.
As featured in Building Design + Construction, Amazon’s “crown jewels” are being touted as an “architectural marvel.” Seven years in the making, The Spheres are located on Amazon’s $4 billion Seattle campus, and are a trio of conjoined glass domes complete with terraces, waterfall and river features, and a treehouse conference area.
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