{"id":86,"date":"2013-10-07T18:27:34","date_gmt":"2013-10-07T18:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/?p=86"},"modified":"2025-09-10T18:50:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T18:50:03","slug":"alucobond-helps-mcallen-texas-public-library-shed-big-box-image-in-adaptive-reuse-of-walmart-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alucobondusa.com\/blog\/alucobond-helps-mcallen-texas-public-library-shed-big-box-image-in-adaptive-reuse-of-walmart-store\/","title":{"rendered":"ALUCOBOND Helps McAllen, Texas, Public Library Shed ‘Big Box’ Image In Adaptive Reuse of Walmart Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Alucobond,<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Project Name:<\/th>\nMcAllen, Texas, Public Library<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Project Location:<\/th>\nMcAllen, Texas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ALUCOBOND\u00ae Materials:<\/th>\n15,000 sq. ft.
\n6mm Steel City Silver Mica<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Year of Installation:<\/th>\n2011<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Architect:<\/th>\nBoultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects – McAllen, Texas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fabricator\/Installer:<\/th>\nBowman Distributing Co.
\nSan Benito, Texas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
General Contractor:<\/th>\nBarcom Construction, Inc.
\nCorpus Christi, Texas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Images:<\/th>\nJohn Gates, AIA, Bob Simpson, AIA, Nicole Gates<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The new McAllen, Texas, Public Library \u2013 which opened on the site of a vacant Walmart in December 2011 \u2013 was envisioned by city officials from the start of architectural bidding to include environmentally friendly features. But, from the perspective of Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects<\/a> in McAllen, no design could be more environmentally conscious than adaptively reusing the former \u201cbig box\u201d retail store, saving approximately 130,000 square feet of building demolition debris from being sent to the local landfill.<\/p>\n

The McAllen City Commission agreed, awarding the project to Boultinghouse Simpson Gates, which served as architect of record.<\/p>\n

\"Alucobond,<\/a><\/p>\n

The adaptive reuse design of the McAllen Public Library almost could seem to embody Walmart\u2019s marketing slogan:\u00a0\u201cSave money. Live better.\u201d But, as directed by the city commission, the look of the new library was in no way to resemble the building\u2019s previous retail tenant, according to John Gates, AIA, principal, Boultinghouse Simpson Gates Architects.<\/p>\n

By adaptively reusing the building, the new $25.7 million McAllen Public Library occupies 123,000 square feet on one floor, making it the largest one-story library in the country. But the former \u201cbig box\u201d building\u2019s appearance drastically has been altered with dramatic exterior features, including a 108-foot by 44-foot main-entry canopy, which is clad in ALUCOBOND\u00ae aluminum composite material.<\/p>\n

\"Alucobond,<\/a><\/p>\n

A total of 15,000 square feet of 6mm ALUCOBOND\u00ae ACM in the contemporary Steel City Silver Mica color was installed on the McAllen Public Library, including as cladding on the main entry canopy and on a secondary entry canopy. ALUCOBOND\u00ae also was installed on the library\u2019s exterior identity signage and as building trim.<\/p>\n

The main-entry canopy is supported by two concrete walls \u2013 one of which is submerged in a pool and includes a circular opening. Water cascades through the opening into the pool. This water-wall was designed to pump more than 2,000 gallons per minute to mask traffic noise from a nearby busy intersection and to cool the area surrounding the canopy on hot days.\u00a0Alucobond ACM is installed as library signage that wraps around three sides of the water-wall. Signage text was water-jet cut into the Alucobond.<\/p>\n

The main-entry canopy plays an important role in shielding library patrons from the elements in McAllen, according to Gates. (McAllen is located in the Rio Grande Valley in the southern tip of Texas.)<\/p>\n

“It can get brutally hot in the summer here,” said Gates.\u00a0 “So it was important to provide shade as far out into the parking lot as possible.”
\nALUCOBOND\u00ae was selected for its durability, according to Gates, who became familiar with the original aluminum composite material in a previous project for a car dealership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted a metal panel for the library that was durable and resistant to oil canning,\u201d said Gates. \u201cThe panel also had to hold up to any flying debris that could dent it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Alucobond,<\/a><\/p>\n

The ALUCOBOND\u00ae dramatically demonstrated its ability to meet that last requirement during a spring storm that hit McAllen on March 29, 2012. \u201cThe ALUCOBOND\u00ae sustained a very high wind storm with some golf ball to baseball sized hail,\u201d said Gates. \u201cA large part of the community suffered significant damage, but the ALUCOBOND\u00ae showed no damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat storm inflicted an incredible amount of damage in McAllen,\u201d said Kate P. Horan, library director, McAllen Public Library.\u00a0\u201cWe went through every ALUCOBOND\u00ae panel, and it\u2019s all intact.\u00a0 The weather can be rough here on a regular basis with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour.\u00a0The fountain also is constantly blowing water under the canopy.\u00a0The ALUCOBOND\u00ae still looks beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ALUCOBOND\u00ae panels were fabricated by Bowman Distributing Co., of San Benito, Texas, which installed them with a rout and return wet-seal system. Barcom Construction, Inc., of Corpus Christi, Texas, served as general contractor for the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe appearance of the ALUCOBOND\u00ae is very smooth compared to other metal cladding,\u201d said Juan Marchan, general partner, Bowman Distributing Co. \u201cWith other metal panels, you can see waviness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Formable ALUCOBOND\u00ae also performed well in the secondary 60-foot by 30-foot canopy, which includes a circular opening to allow a palm tree to grow through it, according to Eduardo Richa, general partner, Bowman Distributing Co.\u00a0\u201cThe ALUCOBOND\u00ae shapes well,\u201d said Richa.<\/p>\n

The secondary canopy is located on the library\u2019s northeast corner, which is dark much of the time, according to Gates. \u201cWe wanted to illuminate the space,\u201d said Gates.\u00a0 \u201cPutting the tree through the opening adds interest.\u201d Gates said the ALUCOBOND\u00ae Steel City Mica color worked well in the building\u2019s new color scheme, which Boultinghouse Simpson Gates created in consultation with Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd., of Minneapolis.\u00a0The latter firm designed the library\u2019s interior as a consultant to Boultinghouse Simpson Gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe overall theme of growth was applied to the colors and shapes in the new library,\u201d said Gates. \u201cThe colors are based on local nature, including the colorful birds that pass through the Rio Grande Valley each spring when they migrate from South America to Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Alucobond,<\/a><\/p>\n

Exterior walls of the old Walmart consisted of 12-inch thick concrete block painted light blue. Those walls were covered in stucco in the Baguette, Humble Gold and Rugged Brown colors. An outdoor children\u2019s area is partitioned with a wall that features three tile mosaics by local artist Yolanda Cantu. Three storefront building openings trimmed in ALUCOBOND\u00ae face the mosaics.<\/p>\n

The ALUCOBOND\u00ae in the Steel City Mica color also is juxtaposed against the Hyper Blue epoxy paint denoting the City of McAllen in the library\u2019s exterior concrete monument signage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ALUCOBOND\u00ae is a fairly dark metal panel; but, it changes colors depending on the time of day,\u201d said Gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ALUCOBOND\u00ae panels are a unifying feature throughout the building,\u201d said Horan.\u00a0\u201cThere\u2019s added interest in these perfectly formed panels that shine and reflect the light. People are always remarking about the building\u2019s beauty.\u00a0 It\u2019s very contemporary with a flowing design that literally includes the fountain.\u00a0 The ideas of motion and movement are prominent. The ALUCOBOND\u00ae contributes to this sense of motion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new library has been well-received by the McAllen community, according to Horan, who said the walk-in gate count on Saturday and Sunday is averaging 4,000 visitors \u2013 the same number of visitors that the library\u2019s former location would have seen in a month.<\/p>\n

The new library serves as headquarters of the McAllen Public Library system, which includes two satellite branches. The service population for the McAllen Public Library is 133,978, according to the 2010 U.S. census.\u00a0 A total of 50,793 of those community members are registered borrowers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people come in for the first time, you can see the \u2018wow\u2019 on their faces,\u201d said Horan.\u00a0 \u201cThose new faces are now regulars. \u2026 The McAllen City Commission is very pleased with the use that we\u2019re getting from this building.\u201d<\/p>\n

The McAllen Public Library has garnered awards in two national design contests, including: the 2013 American Institute of Architects Honor Awards for Interior Architecture and the International Interior Design Association\/American Library Association\u2019s 2012 Library Interior Design Competition.Moreover, the adapted building has met its charge from the McAllen City Commission.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re new to the area, you\u2019d never know that it was a Walmart,\u201d according to Gates, who said visitors can contrast the adapted building with a new Walmart store built on property located just across the canal that runs right behind the library.<\/p>\n\n\t\t