Project: The Walker Art Center

Contributing Manufacturer: Spantek Expanded Metals

Materials:
Exterior: Angled diamond aluminum mesh panels
Interior: Lace embossed panels

One of the most celebrated art museums in the country, the Walker Art Center is known for its innovative presentations and acclaimed collections of contemporary art across the spectrum of the visual, performing, and media arts.

It was a smart move for Spantek which has vastly expanded on its successful core business of manufacturing metal gutter guards, fireplace screens and air filter grids by creating the architectural aluminum panels that currently cover the exterior of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, MN.

After being approached by Swiss architectural firm Herzog & DeMeron, Spantek designed patterns of angled diamond mesh in aluminum, which then became sheets of webbing that act as tiles on the exterior of the Walker Art Center. Different lace embossed panels are used in the interior of the building, as well as the traditional Spantek vent covers and catwalks above the stage in the theater.

These exterior panels created a win-win situation for all parties involved, as this mesh is very economical to produce and has an anodized application to ensure its beauty and serviceability for the long term. The greater win for Spantek is that this opens the market for countless architectural applications with endless creativity and versatility.

As one of the country’s first mesh covered buildings, the Walker Art Center proves that Spantek has the vision, capability and technology to expand exponentially in the relatively new architectural mesh industry.

Vice-President of Spantek, Jim Nyquist states, “Since advertising its work for the Walker Art Center, Spantek is reviewing museum and other projects from companies in New York, Chicago, Kansas City and Los Angeles.”