PROJECT OF THE VEAR
BRINGING ARTTO LIFE The Construction Challenges of a Groundbreaking
Project
By Tino Couller lJ) I<J7l, the Vcnv<-rAn Mu~L·umun.wik-<lhs bn:alhtakiugnc:w fadlrcnowui:d ltaHan arc._i:iill.'ClGio Ponti. Th~ l'..-c·..-nl <lt'«.'~iunto ..:-xpan<lthe c.xistir1g building to ncady <loubh::
Curlis .Mayes,l'rtction <ksign <:nginc:crfor LPR, rcJk·<.:l.s on Lhcfactors undL'flying Lhc projt.·cl's :;ulX.."t:SS. '"The City of Denver ma<lc the <l~'ision lO .-i.llowplanning dforls lo b~gio wdl bd(m.: tht: structural ils size presented .m .i.rli.sli<:d1allengc: how lO suc:n·ssllllly marry lite dl·.signw..ts complt·k·d. \'l\fe wt·n.· rt·..1llyt'xt·ih·d .1hout tlw l~,,rlyopporexpan~k,n and the n1oc,umenu,Ilandma,-kwhiC'h,thr~ dt"(\\dcs\"";:.rli<-r, tunity to ('Ontrih\1tc·to th<-proj<'ct. l,ilx-skincl 's ard1itC<."t\11+,1I design W:ls the-opposit<"of <Y>nvcntional. Adv;i.ncrpla.nningg.1"cc,·c1-yoncinvoked h:td thrust Dc1wC"r into the linh'lighr of the .ud1itectural world. an opportunity to mn!\idc·rtllC'comp1<•xitks of the project so we could I )anid Lihc.,c;kind. himSt"framock·rn iC'onof ard1itc('n1ral clc'iign,1'('wo·rkout th(' iimumf•rahk--<'OO~n·ucrahi1i1 y and Jogis-tiC"al issut~s'"<'II in f.if)On.dcd wil.ha<lynami<.:cun<.:cpt iu:spircdbythccity'sc:ha.ractcr1 history and moj(·~'ti<.' surrounding)). His iutc.otwas to crc::it1...· an artistic dialogu-.· adv~mn.~or (:on,')tru<.:lion.'' When the c.·it}' or Iknv1.--rand gcn<..'rJ.I h.:.•cw1.•<.•11 dx· <W(•a'slo<..·aJ ti-.,ditioJ)and Lh..;Cut1..11•1:, .lnd a (jk1\1J ('on,,..._,.._.lion 1.--ontl\K"lor/\•\. A. f\,1ort('nson hetwe-en the downtov,.rnarea and adjacelll neigM>0rhoods. awarded the Ziinmeriuan/LPR ka1n a p1't-"t-·on.st1·uc.·lioo ~nic:~s con Tht>new wing's 2,740-ton sre<"I!\uperstructurt> is oomposed or :m I raf·t, lhty a~:w,nhlt'tJ:i 1ask lt,rc·t·C'ornprised of Ill<'gr1wral nml.r;w(or~ int(·nvoven dusler of }e;;.;.ming_ hrat·ed rranu:.-., tn..1ssc:-s, floor be~m1s :.m.... hite<.·tof recor<l, cnginl"t."rof record, sted fabricator, steel detailer:<-, an<lroofbca.ms, which arc stabilized by heavily reinforced com1x>sitc conncctjon design c.ngi1wcrand steel erector who all workc<l togct1wr coocrctc floor slabs. The structu-rc is clad in 230,000 square foct of to compktc the dt~signand eventually build the project. Maycs-\.vho titanium shingles at 1:wh,•d Io lhl' sLrm:lurc using a sloping, light g.1ug,· <Utlaborauxl <mtht: coo,,cctioo dt~sign, s(x:1u<'!nc.:ed the project, <lcsigoc<l st<·<·I w~lll inl·<·rfocc, Its 194-root prow, n~rm·d l(1rits ship-lib· :)pJwartlw c·n·c·lion pro<"t·durc·s, clid th<' s1ruc1ur,ll analysis for int-<-nm~liatc· ance, cantilevers horizontally 167 feet over 13th Avenue, and peaks jLtst stage-s of C'onstruC'tion, managc<I dcvdoprncnt of th<' 1·igging phms~mcf ahou1 100 lt:'t'I,abovt"tilt' ground. designed the shoring for the project emphasi7..csthat his rok ,vas just The :,"tructurc is <.:omposedof a myriad of inter.-e<.:ling;mgles, slopone pit't.."'e of a vf'ry hig pit~nm."'. "In tt.·rm:;of its <.:omplc:xity, ing <..'Olumn:;, tilting bcstOl,5, intersecting br3<..-C:-S and cxpan:;ive planes thi.s projt.-cl outweighed (11,yother hy a factor of fivt.·,"Mo.y<.'l:i n:rnarks. "II, S4.·1..·1ru.,d likt• any lask d1at could that app1."'arto he ahno~t magically suspended in spa.ex:.Segments of normally he accomplished in a .singk cfoy wo\1M tak<' m<' five· days on thr huiklingjuBk)'ward like c:ornponc1\t!.of'a massive cry:,,taJ.In fact, lhis project.', VVhenMayes first began talking with the fohrirntor .:and c..-cu1<..·<..·i,•c..•tl I l1<: id('!afrwtht'. Lil)(_·skin<l sldtcs iuhis alllolliography tl1al11<..· l.~ngim~t"r <>rrt'.t·or<l, il irnmci:liate1ybec-;imedear tJ,at dcv(•loping a plan expansion while flying over the Rockies, thinking ;:ihoutt<..·<.·toni<.: phil(!s, skdc:hing the concept on the back of his boarding pass. to sulx:c.:ssfoJJy a::;sc.cnbk: Lhc::;truc,;l ure;:,<:o,,sideri,,g the inevitable effect Tht'. building'!- <;hallengiog desigr, demanded a meticulous and in• "'f 'hc (,'(:f1tcrpore.ion ofgr,wit)', woul<l<lcman<l extraordinary o:-<.:ativity. of th<:structure bulll fo.-the main t:ntrru1t...._. and.at6um w.:isi1nazingly novative p<.•1·fi>rm3ncx· from lhe s:1.<•t•I {•re:dion suhc:01,tractor, LPR coinplieatccf,"hc n.:mc1nbcrs."\Ve began by workingwjthaCAf) rnodd Construction Company. LPR joined forces with On<'of the (incst scccl to d(•vrlop a gt•m·ral sc:<1ut"Jlt:t: of t:nx.1.jon for the structure.'' fabricators in tllc country, Zimmcnmm Metals, based in D<..·nv(·r. il y. <lcsignl.'<l by internationally
8 I THESEAA CONNECTOR 2005 EDITION