A fusion of rainbow-colored lights and custom Dolga-Trio architectural design mesh from W.S. Tyler USA Architectural Design Group was used to illuminate the Westin Cleveland Downtown’s façade. Replacing the previous brick and metal cladding with an architectural design mesh provided a textured look and masked the parking facilities that span the second through fifth floors.
Christopher Auvil, AIA, LEED AP, director of design services for Marous Brothers Construction, design-builder for the 500,000-square-foot renovation project, says there are 70 panels that stretch about 300 feet, are about 60 to 70 feet high and each panel has a multicolored LED light. “In addition to being much lighter and quicker to install than the former masonry panels,
[architectural metal mesh] afforded ventilation, fall protection and decorative value,” he says.
SAGE Hospitality, Denver, a property management group, identified infrastructure issues, established a design approach and allocated budget for proposed improvements. Wendy DeCapite, architectural sales manager at W.S. Tyler USA Architectural Design Group, says the design team wanted a dense version of mesh to cover the openings in the garage area, an open version for the area in front of the sixth floor ballroom and areas of the façade customized with signage attachments. “While the designers liked the characteristics of the Dolga-Trio, they requested a modified version to create different openings in one continuous panel,” she says.
Dolga-Trio architectural design mesh has a flexible weave that gets its structure from clusters of vertical wires. Installers rolled the mesh down to its final position after connecting it to the top of the area. The lightweight mesh was then fastened at the bottom of the installation using a flat tension profile and clevis assembly system from W.S. Tyler USA Architectural Design Group. “The architectural mesh offered us a product that was much lighter and easier to install than the former masonry panels,” Auvil notes.
Local contributions offered knowledge and insight particular to the area for the 14-month, $74 million project, Auvil says. “By utilizing local builders Hotel reserves façade for glowing mesh Architectural design mesh masks a parking garage and creates a textured exterior and suppliers, SAGE was able to cut both the costs associated with transportation and the lead times associated with product delivery,” he adds.
The transformation included new mechanical and safety systems, lighting, guest rooms, a restaurant and fitness center. Many existing features including the elevator controls, approximately 500 guest room interiors and common areas experienced aesthetic and system overhauls. “The exciting part of the project was watching the transformation from what it was to what it became,” Auvil says.
Property management: SAGE Hospitality, Denver
Design-builder: Marous Brothers Construction, Willoughby, Ohio
Wire mesh: W.S. Tyler USA Architectural Design Group, Mentor, Ohio, www.tylerdesignmesh.com
