Pablo Center at the Confluence, Eau Claire, Wis.

by Christopher Brinckerhoff | 3 June 2019 12:00 am

Long-term durability was among the reasons Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture cited for the firm’s selection of exterior building materials for Pablo Center at the Confluence performing arts theater. The project used locally sourced stone, copper and insulated metal panels (IMPs).

Malcom Holzman, partner-in-charge at Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, says, “When you construct a civic facility like this you do so with the intent that it will last over 100 years. And the stone, copper, and metal provide an appearance that you might find at any civic center in Wisconsin.”

A 3 1/2-inch-thick sawn height of stone was used for the lower level exterior, and Division V Sheet Metal Inc. fabricated and installed 18,000 square feet of KME Germany GmbH and Co. KG’s TECU Classic copper at six locations:

• fascia and soffits on exterior canopies at the first floor
• exterior cladding and soffits on the west side of the building at a conference room on the second floor
• exterior cladding and soffits on the west side at rehearsal rooms on the third floor
• exterior cladding and soffits on the north side at a rehearsal and recital hall
• exterior cladding and soffits inside the rehearsal and recital hall, adjacent to a large theater lobby
• and interior cladding and ceilings at balconies in the large theater.

At the main theater at the upper mezzanine level, Division V installed 29,900 square feet of Metl-Span’s 3-inch-thick, 7.2 Insul-Rib IMPs with a tower crane to hoist them to the roof and swing crane to lower them into place.

Bruce Reed, senior project manager at Division V, says installing the IMPs at the upper mezzanine was challenging due to the height. “We developed some clamps to hold them into place,” he says.

The 22-gauge exterior metal on the panels is Weathered Zinc and the 26-gauge interior metal is Igloo White. The IMPs have 1 1/2-inch-high ribs on 7.2-inch centers, which was important to the design, Holzman says. “The profile depth of the panels is important,” he adds. “We want the building read as a volume and not as a panel. The shape and shadow deceive the eye so it reads as volume.

The copper panels contrast with the dark gray stone. The stone is Wisconsin stone that was mined less than 50 miles from the site. Gilbert Oh, AIA, LEED AP, at Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture, says, “That was important because historically, a lot of Eau Claire structures are built using masonry; it’s more brick than stone, but it’s a familiar look in the area. The curved copper extends as close to the river as possible and it contrasts the stone.”

Pablo Center at the Confluence’s location at the intersection of the Chippewa River and Eau Claire River was another influence on the design. “The location along the river played a big part in the design process,” Oh says. “Metal panels were a pragmatic decision because of the insulation. The depth of the panels helps the appearance because they are high up and we didn’t want that look to get lost from the street.”

Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/projects/pablo-center-at-the-confluence-eau-claire-wis/

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