In Kansas City, Missouri, One Park Place building, formerly known as the BMA Tower, has been a landmark since Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) designed it in 1961. Originally office headquarters, the converted luxury condominium building rises 19 stories above the heart of downtown and is a visual milestone from nearly anywhere in the city. Its trademark exterior is devoid of ornamental décor, relying on white cladding and black glazing to create a minimalist Miesian aesthetic that has been celebrated in numerous building awards and a special exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2002, the building was entered into the United States National Register of Historic Places.
For the iconic building to maintain its dramatic presence in the Kansas City skyline for the greater half of the last century and receive its designation as a historic place, it was critical that the building’s understated exterior remain in top condition. This proved challenging in 1985, when the building’s original white marble cladding began to warp from the corners, causing several panels to fall from the building.
To preserve the building’s famed Modernist appearance, Black & Veatch, an engineering, procurement and construction firm out of Overland Park, Kansas, was tasked with replacing the dilapidated marble with an aesthetically similar, yet structurally improved cladding material. The firm selected white Neopariés® crystallized glass ceramic panels from Technical Glass Products (TGP).
Neopariés crystallized glass ceramic panels have a lower thermal expansion rate, meet stricter engineering guidelines and are lighter and stronger than natural stone, making them an ideal cladding material for a building subject to Kansas City’s extreme temperature changes and harsh weather conditions. Aesthetically, the crystallized ceramic panels have a bright, smooth appearance that closely resembles One Park Place’s original marble.
As an added benefit, Neopariés is virtually maintenance free, with high resistance to staining, pollution and graffiti. “I periodically have a crew wash as much of the Neopariés as they can without hanging over the side of the building,” said Mike Gunter, facilities manager, in an earlier company project write-up. “The only other maintenance required is the monitoring of the caulking.”
Today, after more than 25 years, Neopariés crystallized glass ceramic panels are still keeping the exterior of Kansas City’s landmark One Park Place in top form for city residents.
Neopariés is an ideal alternative to stone for interior and exterior walls, interior floors, counters and table tops. It is available in large, flat or curved panels, and may be used in thinner and lighter configurations than marble or granite. When combined with the Neopariés’ stainless steel anchoring system, the crystallized glass ceramic panels can help design teams create applications with enduring beauty.
For more information on Neopariés, along with TGP’s other decorative and architectural glass products, visit tgpamerica.com.
Additional Information
Project: One Park Place
Location: Kansas City, MO
Architect: Skidmore, Owings + Merrill (original), Black & Veatch (retrofit)
Product: Neopariés® crystallized glass ceramic panels
Technical Glass Products
800.426.0279
800.451.9857 – fax
sales@tgpamerica.com
www.tgpamerica.com
Related Stories
Glass and Glazing | Aug 16, 2024
The next generation of thermal glazing: How improving U-value can yield energy savings and reduce carbon emissions
The standards for energy-efficient construction and design have been raised. Due to the development of advanced low-e coatings for the interior surface and vacuum insulating technologies, architects now have more choices to improve U-values wherever enhanced thermal performance is needed to create eco-friendly spaces. These options can double or even triple thermal performance, resulting in annual energy savings and a positive return on carbon.
Curtain Wall | Aug 15, 2024
7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks
It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus.
Products and Materials | May 31, 2024
Top building products for May 2024
BD+C Editors break down May's top 15 building products, from Durat and CaraGreen's Durat Plus to Zurn Siphonic Roof Drains.
Codes and Standards | May 10, 2024
Specification for field testing newly installed storefronts, curtain walls, sloped glazing systems updated
The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a specification establishing requirements for field testing newly installed storefronts, curtain walls, and sloped glazing systems.
75 Top Building Products | Apr 22, 2024
Enter today! BD+C's 75 Top Building Products for 2024
BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2024 issue of Building Design+Construction.
75 Top Building Products | Dec 13, 2023
75 top building products for 2023
From a bladeless rooftop wind energy system, to a troffer light fixture with built-in continuous visible light disinfection, innovation is plentiful in Building Design+Construction's annual 75 Top Products report.
Glass and Glazing | Aug 25, 2023
Vitro Architectural Glass Lowers Embodied Carbon Further, Releases NEW Environmental Product Declarations
Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has published updated versions of its Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for both flat and processed glass. These updates reaffirm that Vitro’s glass products contain less embodied carbon than the industry standard for architectural glass products and indicate a lower embodied carbon value than previously reported in 2017 editions of these EPDs.
Fire-Rated Products | Aug 14, 2023
Free download: Fire-rated glazing 101 technical guide from the National Glass Association
The National Glass Association (NGA) is pleased to announce the publication of a new technical resource, Fire-Rated Glazing 101. This five-page document addresses how to incorporate fire-rated glazing systems in a manner that not only provides protection to building occupants from fire, but also considers other design goals, such as daylight, privacy and security.
Products and Materials | Jul 31, 2023
Top building products for July 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from cleanroom doors to window storm protection systems.
Cladding and Facade Systems | Jun 5, 2023
27 important questions about façade leakage
Walter P Moore’s Darek Brandt discusses the key questions building owners and property managers should be asking to determine the health of their building's façade.