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Masonry Industry Promotion Group
Project Focus Concrete
Masonry Offers Design Flexibility The Three Rivers Convention Center, an 81,000 s.f. facility completed in May of 2004 for the Kennewick Public Facilities District, is the first new building in the development of the Vista Entertainment District in Kennewick, Washington. The $17 million project was delivered in a design build delivery format by the team of ALSC Architects and Lydig Construction.
Given that
the purpose of this convention center facility is to bring new guests
into the region, the design team adopted a design concept of treating
the building itself as a celebration of the Three Rivers region (Columbia,
Snake and Yakima). This concept was executed through a process of seeking
and discovering opportunities to make metaphorical references to the
region's unique culture and beautiful high desert environment through
building form, colors and materials.
The selection of CMU by the design team paid off in a big way. Three shades of integrally colored CMU with three different surfaces (standard face, split face and ground face) offered a pallet of nine subtle variations of color and finish. Further variation was made possible by the application of different types of sealers in specific locations. The combination of available finishes and surface effects, used along with other chosen materials, produced an extremely rich interior and exterior expression of the colors and textures of the region. This variety is most obvious at the main entrance lobby. The form of the entrance lobby represents the sparkle and motion of water, forming a "rooster tail" in tribute to 40 years of hydroplane racing, a cultural icon for the Tri-Cities. The contrast in the color and texture of the ground face lighter panels with the split face darker panels is amplified throughout the day on this gently curved exterior wall as the sun tracks to the west. Custom blocks were produced that provide rough split face texture on the exterior wall surface and ground face, allowing a single material to offer two radically different expressions on the exterior and interior faces of the same wall.
The rustic aesthetic of the split face CMU was also used to provide the backdrop for the Internet Café, a lounge and beverage serving area adjacent to the main lobby. The café was designed as a tribute to the local wine industry, internationally recognized for its consistently high quality vineyards and winemakers. The heavy texture of the split face CMU conjures up images of European catacombs inside the café amidst contemporary interpretations of wine barrels. These elements continue outside past floor-to-ceiling glass walls, blurring the line between interior and exterior spaces. Placed immediately outside of the café is a private exterior patio featuring an overhead arbor structure and an organically shaped CMU seat wall. The facility has been an immediate success for the Three Rivers region, attracting numerous events and bringing thousands of new visitors to Kennewick. The incorporation of masonry into the facility has been and will continue to be a significant part of the building's and the owner's success.
Concrete
Masonry Manufacturer: Western Materials
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© 2003 - 2006 Janet Crosby all rights reserved
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