the past, acknowledges the future By Mark Robins, Senior Editor
Chandler, Ariz., needed a city hall building that could be a gateway for its downtown area and a model for its development. Because of its effec- tive use of metal and artful architectural design, its new city hall is all that in addition to being a modern, effi cient and sustainable building.
The offi ce tower is a multi-story building oriented on an east-west axis maximizing northern and southern exposure while minimizing east-west exposure. Passive shading strategies on the south and west façades block direct heat gain during the summer months and allow for some penetration during the winter. Eighty percent of the total com- plex’s regularly occupied spaces is day lit. Conceptually, its design was inspired by the idea of respecting the past and acknowledging the future. It refl ects this idea through the planning, mass- ing and use of its materials. Its stone and shade canopies represent Chandler’s history and regional architecture, while its glass and stainless steel ac- knowledge the community’s innovative technology- driven industry.
METAL MADE A DIFFERENCE A key innovation in the project is incorporating public art into the building design. Artist Ned Kahn’s “Turbu- lent Shade” is a kinetic shading element attached to the curtainwall of the east and west façades. More than 2,500, 6- x 21-inch perforated stainless steel pan- els, or “pixels,” from Tampa, Fla.-based McNICHOLS Co. make up the second skin of the curtainwall, provid- ing shading and visibility. Each pixel moves indepen- dently with the wind creating a dynamic surface liter- ally connected to the environment in a tangible way. “We initially proposed the second skin and we
were looking at perforated metal that would stand off and knock down heat gain,” says Mark Roddy, AIA, LEED AP, design principal, SmithGroupJJR in Phoenix. “It acts like a theatrical scrim, if you were inside the building you could still see out.” Ribbed stainless steel panels from Chandler-
based Kovach Inc. accent two design elements, entrance points and utilitarian volumes. Above all entrance doors, stainless steel wall panels act as transoms. At its main entrance, a four-story ribbon of stainless steel wall panels wrap under at the “porch” to become soffi t panels and then track into the lobby interior. LED lighting is randomly inserted
into the system, creating a dynamic pattern during the day or night. The second use of the stainless steel wall panels is cladding for the service elevator core and mechanical screen walls. “The stainless steel panels are beautiful and
they refl ect the sky’s color; you feel they are con- necting to the sky,” Roddy says. “Aesthetically, it is a beautiful contrast to the stone. Our skies are amaz- ing and the intensity of the sunlight makes crisp shadows. The stainless steel changes color through- out the day. At midday it is white, at the end of the day with the sun setting, it refl ects the colors of the horizon and turns royal blue.” The new Chandler City Hall urban design and site strategy reinforce pedestrian friendly activity and by pushing the new buildings to the street edg- es, a new courtyard was created at the complex’s center. The creation of an “urban edge” along all of the bordering streets reinforces the pedestrian expe- rience, promoting connection and activity through- out the downtown area. And the public is connect- ing with this new building. “We’ve heard comments about people taking pictures of it and people coming to see the sculpture; it’s a pretty dynamic place,” Roddy says.