Houston Galleria, Houston
Posted
09/6/2011
Renovation of The Galleria II Mall in Houston was underway when
Hurricane Ike struck the shopping center in 2008. Super Sky
Products provided two vault skylights to help protect the property
and its occupants in future storm events, while providing
daylighting to enhance their retail experience.
The existing skylights were replaced with new watertight,
structurally sound vault skylights with gable ends from Super Sky
Products. Each of the units spanned approximately 81 feet in length
and 42 feet in width. Ten thousand square feet of Viracon Inc.'s
VS2-14 insulated, laminated glass was used to mitigate Texas'
severe heat and storms.
Enhancing the durability and longevity of the skylight system,
Linetec finished all of the aluminum framing in a clear anodize
finish that meets the AAMA 611-98 specification.
Under the guidance of French Engineering LLC, the glazing team
carefully removed and installed one unit, then the other. During
the installation of the second unit, Hurricane Ike impacted
Houston. "Although all of the glass units were set, the caulking
operations were only 50 percent completed when the hurricane hit,"
recalls Todd Wilde, Super Sky's project manager. "Every attempt was
made to keep the unit watertight, however some water infiltration
did occur causing minor damage. After the hurricane had passed, the
installation of the second unit was completed and repairs were made
to the interior finishes." The Galleria's overall renovations were
finalized in March 2009.
Owner: Simon Property Group Inc.,
Indianapolis
Specialty engineer: French Engineering LLC,
Houston
Glazing system and installer: Super Sky
Products Enterprises LLC, Mequon, Wis., www.supersky.com,
Glass fabricator: Viracon Inc., Owatonna,
Minn., www.viracon.com,
Finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.,
www.linetec.com
