Seattle planners and designers were asked to convert an amusement park under Seattle's Space Needle into the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition. Their challenge was to showcase the works of renowned artist Dale Chihuly in an environment that would transform the building into an exhibition hall and the asphalt surface into a garden for displaying Chihuly's most popular works and architectural installations. Blending the building's exterior with the outdoor garden was a critical part of the task. Because the east exterior wall would face the garden and Glasshouse, it was clear that the building needed a significant element of green.
With LEED certification in mind, the design and construction teams from the Seattle area – comprised of Owens Richards Architects, Seattle; AHBL, Seattle; Schuchart Corporation, Seattle; and Cobra Building Envelope Contractors, Spokane, WA – took a unique approach that, in addition to its aesthetic appeal, would reduce heat gain and lower the carbon dioxide impact.
In concert with planning the green roof, a living wall was added on the east and west sides of the hall using McNICHOLS ECO-MESH®, with the largest installation on the east (garden) side. Incorporating ECO-MESH® with the green roof influenced the project's energy efficiency and helped the project achieve a LEED Silver rating through the U.S. Green Building Council. The ECO-MESH® system specified in the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition project consists of 95 panels that average 48" by 144" in size. The units are made of two layers of 12 Gauge crimped Woven Wire Mesh in a 10 Gauge frame.
Living walls at Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition created with McNICHOLS ECO-MESH®.
Today, ECO-MESH® co-exists with the exhibition hall's green roof, achieving the type of living envelope envisioned by the design team. McNICHOLS is honored to be part of this green Hole Solution. If you’d like to buy ECO-MESH®, contact us at 855.318.8791, [email protected], or via Live Chat on mcnichols.com.