NBBJ designed Seattle Opera’s Opera Center with a front façade that features a series of backlit, perforated metal scrims panels. The building also features layers of metal panels, which give it a distinct appearance and make a visual connection with the adjacent Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. As a whole, much of the exterior is glass. Passersby have views of activity inside the building including in a costume shop.
Aidan Lang, general director at Seattle Opera, says, “Seattle Opera will continue to break down barriers that have previously kept people from being able to participate in opera. In addition to creating an environment for world-class artistry, we are establishing a welcoming and accessible community resource on the Seattle Center campus, inviting visitors to explore our city’s arts and cultural home.” Since the project was completed, Christina Scheppelmann succeeded Lang as general director at Seattle Opera.
To construct the multilayered walls, Northshore Exteriors Inc. installed 44,000 square feet of Kingspan Insulated Panels Inc.’s KarrierPanel insulated metal panels (IMPs). KarrierPanels have KarrierRails that transfer loads from façade panels to structural supports behind the IMPs. For the Opera Center, Northshore Exteriors installed Morin Corp.’s N-12 panels in Concorde Blue on the Karrier- Panels.
The Concorde Blue panels visually connect the Opera Center with McCaw Hall, which has panels in a matching color. The two buildings are also visually connected at the Mercer Street elevation by custom and rollformed Morin panels that make the buildings look seamless.
To construct the series of backlit, perforated metal scrims panels, Northshore Exteriors installed its NorthClad Designer Series panels in Concorde Blue. To attach the panels to the building, the company fabricated standoff brackets and rails from 1/4-inch-thick aluminum.
Seattle Opera’s Opera Center has four stories and 105,000 square feet of space, as well as a rain garden. Materials for interior applications are used, in part, due to recycled content. Reclaimed wood was incorporated. Paints and adhesives have low or zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Finishes are applied sparingly to meet acoustic, durability and privacy goals.
