In the spring of 2001, the government appropriated funds to provide significant upgrades to the building’s interior and exterior, including installation of a blast hazard mitigating façade. Detroit-based design firm SmithGroup won approval for its concept. Working from SmithGroup’s schematics, Des Moines-based general contractors Neumann Bros. enlisted the help of Wausau Window and Wall Systems, and Northwest Steel Erectors to design a curtainwall system that would turn the architectural vision into reality.
The building’s east and west sides feature a modified RX Series window wall, while the south elevation displays an eight-inch deep, unitized system with three-inch covers and factory-glazed Alpolic panels manufactured to match the field-installed panels of the other elevations. The building’s north elevation is undergoing the most dramatic change in appearance using a custom, stacking, vertically glazed curtainwall. To accentuate the floor lines, it showcases a 12-inch high by six-inch deep reveal. Additionally, the Bone White Duranar finish used on the north facade presents a striking change from the building’s original grey concrete exterior. Visit www.wausauwindow.com.