Steel Project Case Study Gallery: Renovation to ROM [page 8], Cladding

Terri Meyer Boake BES BArch MArch LEED AP
Professor :: School of Architecture :: University of Waterloo

Renovation to the Royal Ontario Museum

Cladding continues!!!

Studio Daniel Libeskind

Toronto, Ontario

Project Information:

Design Architect: Studio Daniel Libeskind
Local Architects: Bregman and Hamann
Steel Fabrication: Walters Inc.
General Contractor: Vanbots Construction Corporation
Cladding: Josef Gartner GmbH

Preparation for cladding started in summer 2005, with the installation of the structural steel U shaped members that would attach to the web of the WF sections to provide a surface to attach the posts that would allow for the subsequent attachment of the support framing for the insulated panels and windows. These images are from March 2007, with the Architectural Opening only 3 months away... Cladding this building would take longre than erecting the steel structure.

Project Images: cladding continues, Spring 2007


Cladding continues at the west end of the building.	The corners of the insulated layer are now complete. The channels that will support the final cladding layer are installed.


Overall view of the project.	There are many discontinuities in the installation of the channels due to the windows.


The channels are attached to the pressure plate system on the insulated panels and also must ring around the windows to provide support for the final cladding layer.	The channels have extender sections at the ridge to enable attachment to the joining members on the other side.


Closer view of one of the exterior members installed.	Close view of one of the peaks, with corner cladding not yet complete.


The underside of the western end of the crystal showing the exterior cladding layer being installed.	Preparation work around the windows.


More preparation work around the windows.	Workers use scaffolding to attach the cladding to the underside of the westernmost crystal.


Only partial pressure plates are in place on this window.	The very deep window frames have a protective wrap to cover the final black frame finish during construction. Here you can see it partially peeled off.


Trapezoidal windows.	Small cranes are used to access the facade for work.


More difficult junctures for cladding operations.	Final cladding is being isntalled on the western crystal corner. There is free drainage and ventilation behind this rainscreen layer.


The eastern crystal corner with its corner construction not yet complete.	Workers scale the crystal.


The bottom corner of the easternmost crystal with its finishing operations partially complete. Watertightness of these joints will be critical...	Work continues on the easternmost crystal.


Workers are installing panels to continue with the finishing and sealing of the corner detail of the insulating layer.	Climbing the facade to work.


Partially complete corner detail.	The window profile juts out quite substantially from the insulating layer to accommodate the depth of the channels and titanium finish cladding.


A stack of channel pieces.	Stacks of titanium finishing extrusions. Note the extrusions are reinforced down their centre.


Installing the cladding on the westernmost corner.	A view betwen the layers on the westernmost corner.


More extrusions, waiting for installation.	Installing the final cladding layer.


Prepping the finished corner on the western crystal.	The western crystal, March 2007.