The new student center features 21,000 square feet of renovated space along with 16,000 square feet of new construction. The project combined the Irene H. Whitney Fine Arts Center with the Helland Student Center, to create an additional 5,416 square feet of usable space for the students. Sixteen-gauge AC- 3000ST stainless steel panels with a #4 brush finish from Quality Metalcrafts LLC/AMERICLAD line the entryway of the new Fine Arts Center. The panels wrap around into the interior to create a dramatic focal point for both the center’s exterior and interior. Quality Metalcrafts/AMERICLAD’s 16-gauge AC-10ST stainless steel column covers with a #4 brush finish line the exterior of the student center and are also incorporated on all three floors of the interior of the center.
Stainless steel was not the first choice for the metal panels, however, stainless steel allowed Armetex Inc. to fabricate the complex geometric panels found throughout the center. Stainless steel is an ideal choice for both the interior and exterior design of the center. Known for its long-term durability and sustainability, as well as its aesthetic values, stainless steel blends perfectly with the overall design to create a progressive, modern image that will last a lifetime.
Architect: LHB Architects, Minneapolis
Fabricator: Armetex Inc., Maple Grove, Minn.
Metal panels and column covers: Quality Metalcrafts LLC/AMERICLAD, Rogers, Minn., www.americlad.com
