{"id":2672,"date":"2016-03-22T12:36:47","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T12:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/?p=2672"},"modified":"2025-09-05T14:27:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:27:47","slug":"sfo-airport-control-tower-clad-in-alucobond-plus-welcomes-passengers-with-lit-torch-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/sfo-airport-control-tower-clad-in-alucobond-plus-welcomes-passengers-with-lit-torch-design\/","title":{"rendered":"SFO Airport Control Tower Clad in ALUCOBOND Plus Welcomes Passengers With Lit-Torch Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photographer \u00a9 John Swain<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Project Name:<\/th>\nSan Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) airport traffic control tower<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Location:<\/th>\nSan Francisco, CA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ALUCOBOND\u00ae Materials:<\/th>\nALUCOBOND\u00ae PLUS Custom SFO Silver<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Design Architect:<\/th>\nHNTB Corp.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Design Build Architect:<\/th>\nFentress Architects<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fabricator:<\/th>\nKeith Panel Systems Co. Ltd.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Installer:<\/th>\nPacific Erectors<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
General Contractor:<\/th>\nHensel Phelps Construction Co.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Structural Engineer:<\/th>\nWalter P Moore<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Photography:<\/th>\nDaniel Lunghi Photography, John Swain Photography<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Design of San Francisco International Airport\u2019s (SFO) new airport traffic control tower not only was focused on functional goals \u2013 including meeting the strictest seismic event standards, offering maximum sightlines and accommodating state-of-the-art electronics \u2013 it also needed to serve as an iconic airport symbol. <\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 John Swain<\/p>\n

The resulting 221-foot-tall 5,652-square-foot shimmering-metal tower features a geometrically complex design resembling a sweeping torch that is topped with an offset control cab \u2013 the latter providing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers with an unobstructed 270-degree view of airport runways and taxiways.<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 Daniel Lunghi<\/p>\n

The new tower \u2013 which is designed to withstand a magnitude 8.0 earthquake and remain operational \u2013 will replace the current airport control tower built in 1981 that does not meet stricter seismic standards. The new air traffic control tower is the tallest vertical self-centering post tension concrete structure in the United States and is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 John Swain<\/p>\n

A total of 10,000 square feet of formable 4mm ALUCOBOND\u00ae PLUS aluminum composite material (ACM) in the custom SFO Silver color clads this spiraling torch-shaped structure. (Recyclable ALUCOBOND\u00ae \u2013 which is manufactured with both post-manufacturing and post-consumer content \u2013 contributes LEED credits to building projects.)<\/p>\n

The west face of the airport control tower is \u201copened\u201d vertically with a backlit glass fa\u00e7ade that stretches 147 feet in the air to create a local visual landmark. Situated above a new three-story FAA office building and walkways connecting Terminals 1 and 2, the open-core design allows passengers to gaze directly up into the tower through corridor skylights to view the cascading waterfall lighting.<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 John Swain<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tower lighting can be changed based on the mood of the airport,\u201d according to Mark Costanzo, P.E., project manager, SFO, who said the fa\u00e7ade\u2019s changing LED colored lighting transforms the tower in recognition of holidays and special events.<\/p>\n

This iconic tower concept design was the collaborative work of SFO and Los Angeles-headquartered HNTB Corp.<\/a>, which served as master architect for the project. Detailed design work was completed by Denver-based Fentress Architects<\/a>, which served as architect of record and worked in a design-build capacity with general contractor Hensel Phelps Construction Co.<\/a>, of San Jose, Calif. Walter P Moore<\/a>, of San Francisco, served as structural engineer for the tower.<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 Daniel Lunghi<\/p>\n

In developing the tower\u2019s design \u2013 which began in 2010 \u2013 SFO and HNTB personnel reviewed Olympic torch designs through the years as well as tower precedents from around the world. The resulting design reflects the SFO brand as an iconic symbol that is both \u201celegant and timeless in approach,\u201d according to Paul Kim, AIA, NCARB, project manager, HNTB.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis idea is manifested in the sweeping torch form and is the impetus for opening of the tower shell to expose the \u2018core\u2019 with a backlit glass fa\u00e7ade, which greets passengers arriving along the upper-level roadway and SFO\u2019s AirTrain,\u201d said Kim. \u201cThe intent was to provide a tectonic and elegantly detailed fa\u00e7ade with a subtle but dynamic skin with spiraling aluminum panel joints around the conical surface. We also saw an opportunity with the tower\u2019s location. Unlike towers at most airports, the SFO tower is located immediately adjacent to drivers and pedestrians. We wanted people to experience the tower up close as well as from afar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 John Swain<\/p>\n

The torch design is reminiscent of the historic pier torches utilized in the 1800s to guide ships to port in San Francisco Bay, according to Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, president, CEO and principal-in-charge of design, Fentress Architects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tower was designed as an iconic symbol for the airport,\u201d said Fentress. \u201cIt needed to be a long-standing building that was dramatic in form to serve as an airport logo but also symbolic of stability for passenger flights.\u201d<\/p>\n

HNTB architects worked with the FAA to develop the offset-cab design, which gives the tower its forward leaning silhouette, according to Kim, who said both parametric modeling software and three-dimensional (3-D) printed models were utilized to create the tower\u2019s design.<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 Daniel Lunghi<\/p>\n

While the tower\u2019s cladding originally was specified with 3\/16-inch aluminum plate panels, Keith Panel Systems Co. Ltd.<\/a>, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, suggested ALUCOBOND\u00ae aluminum composite material.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt that ALUCOBOND\u00ae would be better suited to handle the specific challenges presented by the tower\u2019s geometry,\u201d said Paul Dalzell, operations manager, Keith Panels Systems (KPS). \u201cWe knew that ALUCOBOND\u00ae had much more flexibility and could be formed into these complex shapes.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Alucobond consists of two sheets of 0.020\u201d aluminum thermobonded to a plastic core. ALUCOBOND\u00ae provides extraordinary flatness and rigidity, excellent formability, low weight and outstanding weather resistance. ALUCOBOND\u00ae aluminum-faced panels are manufactured with a polyethylene core in a standard 4mm thickness. ALUCOBOND\u00ae PLUS wall panels have a flame-spread index of less than 25 and a smoke-developed index of less than 450 when tested in accordance with ASTM E 84, and have a Class A interior finish classification.)<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 Daniel Lunghi<\/p>\n

\u201cAlucobond was a material that could carry the shape of the building with an outward appearance that is sleek and dynamic,\u201d said Fentress. \u201cIt gives a futuristic quality to the building. Technically, it was able to create all of the joints and worked well with the complex structural engineering designed to ensure that this building will be there after a seismic event.\u201d<\/p>\n

KPS spent approximately 1.5 years in pre-construction planning and four months fabricating approximately 1,500 ALUCOBOND\u00ae panels, which were installed by Pacific Erectors, Inc.<\/a>, of Rocklin, Calif., with the KPS System A Pressure-Equalized Rainscreen System.<\/p>\n

To create this series of complex panel shapes, KPS utilized Autodesk Revit Building Information Modeling (BIM) software and the architectural 3-D printed models; the company also created a series of nine panel assembly and fabrication prototypes and two full-scale mockups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started modeling and prototyping, we discovered the tower geometry was dictated by a set of very specific mathematic rules,\u201d said Dalzell. \u201cThis allowed us to confirm every dimension on each panel pulled from the model mathematically to ensure the panels would fit on site. This was an exhaustive process requiring manual input and calculation of hundreds of points along the perimeter of each panel. While this process validated the theoretical model and was used in prototyping, it wasn\u2019t practical for full-scale production. We searched everywhere for software that would provide an automated flattening solution but found nothing. In the end, KPS employed a developer to build custom software for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SFO<\/p>\n

Photography \u00a9 Daniel Lunghi<\/p>\n

KPS relied solely on 3-D modeling to fabricate the ALUCOBOND\u00ae panels eschewing field measurements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was by far the toughest job we\u2019ve ever done as a company, and the most extreme in terms of geometry and modeling.\u201d said Dalzell. \u201cA lot of credit goes to the incredible team at Pacific Erectors in overcoming equally great challenges during panel installation, including dealing with hundreds of anchors and lightning protection penetrations located in reveals with only 1\/16-inch tolerance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dalzell described the challenge faced by Pacific Erectors\u2019 employees in correcting site tolerances during panel installation while hanging from a swing stage as \u201cmonumental.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, every panel fit,\u201d said Dalzell. \u201cEvery single panel was built from the mathematically corrected Revit model without relying on field dimensions. That\u2019s an incredible testament to the capability of BIM-based construction.\u201d<\/p>\n

The design team is \u201cvery happy\u201d with the cladding results, according to HNTB\u2019s Kim.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe shimmering skin adhered perfectly to the complex geometry of the tower,\u201d said Kim. \u201cIt is both fresh and unique in its fabric-like form while simultaneously linking you back to images of airplane fuselages and turbines and other metal-clad buildings at SFO. In addition, the sleek fa\u00e7ade maintained the desire to remain contextual but not just match the existing adjacent metal panel terminal buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n

HNTB turned over bridging documents to Fentress Architects in May 2012 and construction was completed in January 2015.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a very constrained site within an operational airport; construction was very tight in terms of scheduling and erecting the tower,\u201d said Fentress, who credits the project\u2019s successful completion to \u201cenormous collaboration and teamwork\u201d among architects, structural engineers and construction contractors.<\/p>\n

\u201cBIM software was a key component in creating this building\u2019s unique shape and achieving its complex geometry,\u201d said Fentress. \u201cThere were not many materials that could have been used to realize this tower\u2019s very sleek, dynamic appearance. \u2026 This really was a unique, once-in-a-lifetime project.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new SFO airport control tower \u2013 which was constructed at a cost of $80 million as part of the airport\u2019s $120-million tower\/FAA office building\/corridor project \u2013 was turned over to the FAA in May for equipment installation, testing and training with the goal of being operational in October 2016.<\/p>\n

SFO offers non-stop flights to more than 38 international cities on 32 international carriers. The Bay Area\u2019s largest airport connects non-stop with 78 cities in the United States on 15 domestic airlines.<\/p>\n

REQUIRED PHOTO CREDITS:
\nImages by John Swain Photography & Daniel Lunghi Photography<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photographer \u00a9 John Swain Project Name: San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) airport traffic control tower Project Location: San Francisco, CA ALUCOBOND\u00ae Materials: ALUCOBOND\u00ae PLUS Custom SFO Silver Design Architect: HNTB Corp. Design Build Architect: Fentress Architects Fabricator: Keith Panel Systems Co. Ltd. Installer: Pacific Erectors General Contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Co. Structural Engineer: Walter P […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11,39,61,240,33,241,28,29,86,47,239,71,238,49,58],"class_list":["post-2672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-case-studies","tag-acm","tag-acp","tag-airport","tag-alucobondplus","tag-aluminum","tag-aluminumcomposite","tag-architecture","tag-design","tag-fabrication","tag-leed","tag-leedgold","tag-public-use","tag-sfo","tag-sustainability","tag-transportation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2672"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7476,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2672\/revisions\/7476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}