Aluminum’s strength-to-weight ratio and its resistance to corrosion are two principal reasons for its use in a variety of large overhead applications, such as roofs, canopies, bridge decks, church steeples, domes, planetariums, and observatories. But, where its use in an aerial application is intended for decorative purposes, a third property of aluminum—its aesthetic brilliance—gives it an overall advantage that competing materials are hard pressed to match.
Hereafter are several recently completed projects that show aluminum’s “triple threat” properties to good effect.
St. George Ferry TerminalAlmost immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City—which damaged, among other things, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey rail lines—ridership on New York’s ferries almost doubled. For commuters traveling to Staten Island, the terminus at New York’s “forgotten borough” was a dark, drab, forgettable place.
By 2005 a total renovation of the St. George Ferry Terminal had been completed. Inside the main building, a 40-foot-high curtainwall with views to New York Harbor has replaced the former brick walls. Together with the addition of skylights, the building—originally constructed in 1950—has been transformed into a bright, welcoming transit depot.
The crown jewel of the building, however, is the 330-foot-long arch, which rises 80 feets at its highest point, that spans the main building. A delicately twisting sculpture designed to evoke the bridges that connect Staten Island with New York and New Jersey, the arch also functions as a gateway—providing a welcoming entrance to visitors to the island.
The arch consists of dozens of large, decorative .125”-inch-thick aluminum flat bar grilles attached to 4” by 4” tubes in the shape of a ladder, which are supported by large box columns.
The blade angle of the grilles—which were supplied by Delano, Minn.-based Industrial Louvers—was engineered to deflect sunlight and provide a visual screen both horizontally and vertically. The grilles feature all-welded construction for structural integrity and to eliminate racking or out-of-square problems during and after installation.
The sculpture is illuminated at night, providing a distinctive beacon for travelers on the all-night ferry service. Its all-metal design helped the terminal achieve LEED certification.
St. George Ferry TerminalAlmost immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York City—which damaged, among other things, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey rail lines—ridership on New York’s ferries almost doubled. For commuters traveling to Staten Island, the terminus at New York’s “forgotten borough” was a dark, drab, forgettable place.
By 2005 a total renovation of the St. George Ferry Terminal had been completed. Inside the main building, a 40-foot-high curtainwall with views to New York Harbor has replaced the former brick walls. Together with the addition of skylights, the building—originally constructed in 1950—has been transformed into a bright, welcoming transit depot.
The crown jewel of the building, however, is the 330-foot-long arch, which rises 80 feets at its highest point, that spans the main building. A delicately twisting sculpture designed to evoke the bridges that connect Staten Island with New York and New Jersey, the arch also functions as a gateway—providing a welcoming entrance to visitors to the island.
The arch consists of dozens of large, decorative .125”-inch-thick aluminum flat bar grilles attached to 4” by 4” tubes in the shape of a ladder, which are supported by large box columns.
The blade angle of the grilles—which were supplied by Delano, Minn.-based Industrial Louvers—was engineered to deflect sunlight and provide a visual screen both horizontally and vertically. The grilles feature all-welded construction for structural integrity and to eliminate racking or out-of-square problems during and after installation.
The sculpture is illuminated at night, providing a distinctive beacon for travelers on the all-night ferry service. Its all-metal design helped the terminal achieve LEED certification.
Aluminum Now: November/December 2007
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