The Mesa Arts Center Arizona

Concrete Construction, Nov, 2003

Coordinating the construction of seven public facilities on one compact site is beyond challenging. The Mesa Arts Center in Arizona demands high-quality finishes in its many concrete features. Most of its floors will be of exposed concrete, some ground and polished to expose the aggregate. Other rooms will have stained concrete floors.

The largest building, the Lyric Theater, will seat 1600. Its 115-foot fly tower is designed to be a prominent landmark. The project's uniquely designed fly towers are trapezoidal in three dimensions and include no lines that are square or plumb. The Lyric fly tower is finished architectural concrete, with a board-form finish. The concrete form liners mimic 9 5/8-inch lumber, and include the look of seeping concrete between the boards.

The Lyric's interior is architectural finished concrete, including floors, risers, and balconies. The orchestra level seats will be secured to a finished concrete floor. Two horseshoe shaped balconies are concrete decking cantilevered off the walls of the hall, not supported by columns, which would interfere with sightlines.

Adjacent to the Lyric Theater, the Repertory Theater and Playhouse Theater are similar in style but smaller. A 107-person capacity Studio Theater sits between the two.

On the west side of the arts complex are two three-story facilities, home to visual, dance, acting, glass making, pottery, and other arts groups, as well as administrative offices. To avoid the damaging effects of light on museum pieces, a museum is being built below grade.

Exterior cast-in-place shored walkways surround the theaters and are protected with a cantilevered architectural concrete roof system, shaded and glassed in. Patrons who look up at the shored walkways will see finished architectural concrete overhead. The cantilevered concrete coverings over the walkways taper on an angle to a smooth architecturally finished face. These covers are also done on a radius, making the concrete placement difficult and exacting.

Unique "Mesa stairs" of precast concrete with glass block risers will allow natural light into the buildings.

In all, the plan includes approximately 25,000 cubic yards of concrete. When complete, the Mesa Arts Center will be a magnet for culture and the arts.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

* General Contractor & Self-Performed Concrete: Layton Construction

* Construction Manager: Kitchell CEM

* Earthwork Contractor: Buesing Corp.

* Executive Architect: DWL Architects

* Design Architect: BOORA Architects

* Horizontal Shoring Contractor: Ceco Concrete

* Rebar Contractor: Powers Steel & Wire

* Concrete Supplier: Rinker

* Structural Engineer: Paragon Structural Design

* Steel Contractor: Schuff

* Mechanical Contractor: IMCOR (Interstate Mechanical Corporation)

* Plumbing Contractor: W.J. Maloney Plumbing

* Electrical Contractor: Cannon & Wendt Electrical

* Fire Sprinkler Contractor: Desert Security Fire Protection